The success of every IT project hinges on a skilled project manager. From hardware upgrades to security system updates to application development, project managers keep IT teams productive and focused.

Still, poorly managed projects are a persistent burden for businesses. Thirty-one percent of projects don’t meet their goals, and nearly half aren’t completed on time or within budget.

Technology project requirements continue to grow more complex. As a result, IT professionals will need deep project management skills to manage these demands.

In this blog, we’ll cover the best project management certifications for IT professionals.

Introductory IT Project Management Certification Training

CompTIA Project+ Certification

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Certification

Project Management Professional (PMP)

PRINCE2 Certification

The Most Coveted Project Management Certifications

Adding a project management certification to your credentials proves you can plan, schedule, budget, execute and deliver successful IT initiatives.

In fact, 72 percent of PMO (project management office) leaders agree that certification is very relevant for mid-career project managers.

By earning a project management certification, you can:

Boost Your Marketability: Combining hands-on project management experience with the right credentials proves you have the drive and determination to succeed.

Earn Higher Pay: Companies frequently search for candidates with recognized certifications and will sometimes make it a requirement for higher paying roles.

Establish Credibility: Certification with organizations like CompTIA and the Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a network of fellow project management professionals and opens the door to new opportunities, roles and clients.

Gain a Standard Project Management Language: Certification helps you establish a common framework for working on and leading projects. Maintaining a consistent approach to project management helps teams better communicate project requirements and success criteria, increasing the likelihood of completing successful projects.

Regardless of your experience level, project management certifications and training exist to help elevate your skill set and marketability. Here are the best project management certifications to launch your career:

1. Introductory IT Project Management Certification Training

Many project management certifications cover complex topics and specific frameworks. If you don’t already have a baseline of project management skills, start with an introductory training course or two.

This course is designed for individuals who manage projects on an informal basis but don’t consider project management their primary job. You’ll learn how to initiate a project, plan for time and cost, plan for project risks and manage a project.

If you’re considering a career as a professional project manager and have some experience leading projects, this course will equip you with the knowledge you need to advance your role. You’ll learn how to create a project schedule, manage human and physical resources, optimize project schedule and costs, monitor risks and more.

The Agile methodology is essential for projects that have frequent changes in requirements. Upon completing this course, you’ll have the skills to implement Agile project management techniques and best practices and manage projects using the Scrum methodology.

Once you have a robust set of project management skills and experience under your belt, you’re ready to pursue an IT project management certification.

2. CompTIA Project+ Certification

The CompTIA Project+ certification is an entry-level certification that prepares IT and business professionals to successfully manage small- to medium-sized projects.

CompTIA is globally recognized for its professional certifications in IT infrastructure, cloud and cybersecurity. The Project+ certification curriculum combines insight from the entire IT industry, government representatives, academia, research institutions and independent experts.

The CompTIA Project+ certification is ideal for:

IT and business professionals who need to manage smaller, less complex projects as part of their job duties

Project coordinators, project managers, business analysts, IT managers, directors and team leaders

Project+ is more versatile than other project management certifications because it covers concepts beyond the scope of just one framework or methodology.

3. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Certification

The CAPM certification is an entry-level project management certification administered by the globally-recognized Project Management Institute (PMI). It’s ideal for IT professionals and project managers interested in learning how to manage large-scale projects.

The CAPM is a precursor to the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Achieving the PMP can be daunting, so most people earn the CAPM as a stepping stone to the more advanced credential.

The CAPM certification is ideal for IT and business professionals who need to manage medium to large projects.

You will learn:

How project management affects business

How to identify stakeholders

How to create a project management plan, schedule and budget

How to analyze project risks

How to address project-related procurement

Requirements:

A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent)

At least 1,500 hours of experience OR 23 hours of project management training

The CAPM training course from New Horizons is taught by certified instructors and includes a variety of practice questions and learning tools to help you study for the exam.

4. Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

The PMP certification is the gold standard of project management recognition. The PMP serves as a global endorsement of your project management knowledge and experience. PMP-certified individuals can work in virtually any industry, using any methodology and in any location.

Becoming PMP-certified is not quick or easy, but the payoff is well worth it. Project managers that hold a PMP certification report higher median salaries than those without a PMP certification – 23 percent higher on average.

The PMP certification is ideal for:

IT and business professionals with real-world experience running projects, regardless of their job title

Project managers looking to take on larger, more complex projects

Managers or team leaders who want to take their career and salary to the next level

The PMP training course from New Horizons is taught by PMP-certified practitioners and includes a variety of learning tools and study aids to prepare you for the exam.

5. PRINCE2 Certification

Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) is a project-based method used widely across the UK, Europe and Australia.

PRINCE2 focuses on the processes and framework needed to execute certain types of projects in controlled environments. Although it’s most popular in government and private sectors, PRINCE2 applies to nearly any type of project.

The PRINCE2 method benefits industries including:

IT industry

Construction

Banking

Engineering

Operations management

Oil and gas industry

Government

There are two levels of PRINCE2 certification: Foundation and Practitioner.

PRINCE2 Foundation

The PRINCE2 Foundation certification introduces you to the PRINCE2 project management method, principles, themes and terminology. You’ll learn how to direct, manage and deliver projects across all phases, from pre-project and initiation to final delivery.

Requirements:

There are no defined pre-requisites for the PRINCE2 exams. However, you should have some on-the-job project management experience and formal training before taking the exam.

PRINCE2 Practitioner

The PRINCE2 Practitioner certification confirms you have sufficient knowledge of the PRINCE2 methodology. Passing the exam proves you understand how to apply and tailor the method in different project environments and scenarios.

Prepare for IT Project Management Certifications With New Horizons

Virtually all IT professionals can benefit from adding a project management certification to their résumé.

Whether you’re collaborating on a hardware upgrade project or leading an application development team, certification training will give you the framework and knowledge to complete successful projects.

New Horizons offers expert-led training for CompTIA Project+, CAPM, PMP and more. All training courses are led by certified instructors and cover all the concepts you need to feel confident and prepared for the exam.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/67/title/New-Horizons-Named-One-of-the-Top-20-IT-Training-Companies-for-the-11th-Year-in-a-Row-by-TrainingIndustry.comNew Horizons Named One of the Top 20 IT Training Companies for the 11th Year in a Row by TrainingIndustry.comTue, 18 Dec 2018 13:30:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/67/title/New-Horizons-Named-One-of-the-Top-20-IT-Training-Companies-for-the-11th-Year-in-a-Row-by-TrainingIndustry.com
Conshohocken, PA — December 18, 2018 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers announced that it has been named as one of the top 20 IT training companies on TrainingIndustry.com’s annual Top 20 IT Training Companies List. We’ve been honored with this designation for the past eleven years in a row!

Selection to the 2018 Training Industry Top 20™ IT Training Companies List was based on the following criteria:

Breadth and quality of IT training content and courses

Leadership and innovation in IT training

Company size and growth potential

Strength of clients

Geographic Reach

“This year’s Top 20 IT Training Companies continue to lead the way in the information technology training market, with offerings and capabilities that are under constant development to keep up to date with the needs of the market,” said Ken Taylor, president of Training Industry, Inc. “New Horizons Computer Learning Centers was selected based on the breadth of delivery modalities it offers and the extent of its geographic reach.”

“The Training Industry Top 20 IT Training Companies list identifies the leaders in the constantly-evolving IT training market,” said Danielle Draewell, market research analyst at Training Industry, Inc.

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers
New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT and Business Training solutions have kept businesses—from startups to global enterprises—ahead of the technology curve for over 35 years. With over 250 learning centers in 35 countries around the world, New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world’s largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Partner, IBM Authorized Training Provider and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit our global website at www.newhorizons.com.

The public cloud market is experiencing explosive growth. Gartner predicts revenue will grow from $176 billion in 2018 to $240 billion in 2020.

In the cloud space, three tech giants have pulled ahead: Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Combined, they dominate nearly 65 percent of the global public cloud market.

With so many features and services to consider, comparing these three cloud giants is complicated. Find out how Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud IaaS and PaaS platforms stack up in this head-to-head comparison.

Comparing AWS Vs. Azure Vs. Google

AWS, the oldest public cloud provider, has led the IaaS market since its inception in 2006. AWS boasts a larger global cloud network and service portfolio than any other cloud vendor.

Despite AWS’s dominance, Microsoft has gained fast traction under the “cloud first” strategy of CEO Satya Nadella. Microsoft Azure is an attractive cloud option for companies that already rely on a Microsoft-centric IT foundation.

Internet giant Google recently crept into the top three with its Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Google Cloud stands out thanks to its deep investments in analytics and machine learning.

1. Features and Services

AWS Services

Azure Services

On par with AWS

54 global regions

Google Cloud Services

75+ cloud services

18 global regions

Choosing the right cloud provider comes down to your business needs, wants and workloads.

AWS, Azure and Google Cloud provide similar basic capabilities. They all offer common public cloud services, including self-service and instant provisioning, autoscaling, security, compliance and identity management features.

AWS has been around nearly twice as long as its competitors and offers the most depth of services. Amazon’s 140 cloud services cover all the necessary bases, from compute, storage and networking to developer and management tools.

Azure’s services are largely on par with AWS. Google Cloud offers fewer cloud services than its competitors in the security and DevOps categories but pulls ahead in machine learning and analytics.

All three providers also take open approaches to partnerships and allow customers to run external apps and services in their cloud environments. For example, Google has established partnerships with vendors like SAP, Pivotal and Rackspace.

2. Compute Capabilities

AWS

EC2

Azure

Virtual Machines

Google

Compute Engine

Building and running your organization starts with compute. Choosing the right compute services will allow you to efficiently develop, deploy, run and scale your applications and workloads.

AWS EC2

AWS’s main compute offering is called Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). EC2 offers a wide selection of instance configurations for different use cases, including big data, enterprise applications and migrations from on-premises environments. AWS also provides related services like Elastic Beanstalk for app deployment and AWS Lambda for running code.

Azure Virtual Machines

Azure’s compute services are centered around Azure Virtual Machines, which enable you to provision Linux and Windows VMs in seconds. Other Azure tools such as Functions, Cloud Services and App Services help you quickly create and deploy applications on the cloud.

3. Existing Customer Base

AWS

Azure

Google

A high-profile customer base shouldn’t be your main reason to choose a cloud provider, but it can help you understand how the public cloud is benefitting others in your industry.

AWS has historically taken on large enterprise customer deals, such as Expedia, Airbnb and Netflix. Azure also boasts some well-known customers including Adobe, HP and NBC News.

Google found its niche with smaller, cloud-native startups, but they have also taken on more big-name companies in recent years, including 20th Century Fox, Target and PayPal.

Many of these large companies use a multi-cloud approach to maximize the best services from different cloud providers. For example, enterprises may prefer Google Cloud for its analytics and ML capabilities but partner with AWS or Azure for large-scale compute needs.

4. Hybrid Cloud and Legacy Apps

AWS

Hybrid support through partnerships with on-premises providers

Services Include:

VMware Cloud on AWS

AWS Storage Gateway

Azure

Comprehensive hybrid cloud support and capabilities

Services Include:

Azure Stack

Hybrid SQL Server

Azure StorSimple

Google

Recently introduced hybrid cloud support in 2018

Services Include:

Cloud Services Platform

Google Kubernetes Engine

Many companies put off cloud migration because they rely on legacy applications. Not all companies have the resources to create new apps for the cloud environment. If you rely on legacy apps or prefer to keep sensitive data in onsite data centers, choose a cloud provider with strong hybrid cloud capabilities.

AWS

Amazon has historically dismissed the benefits of on-premises applications, but recently started making a greater effort to improve hybrid cloud support. AWS maintains partnerships with on-premises platform providers like VMware, Intel and SAP, allowing you to run your existing enterprise applications on AWS.

Azure

Azure offers the best support and capabilities for hybrid clouds. It provides all the tools you need to develop modern apps, unify DevOps, streamline identity management and integrate security in hybrid environments.

Google

Google is the most recent cloud vendor to introduce hybrid cloud capabilities. Google’s new Cloud Services Platform offers an integrated set of cloud services that can be deployed on Google Cloud and in on-premises environments.

5. Deploying Apps and PaaS

AWS

Offers app deployment solutions but lacks in app hosting

Services Include:

Container Service

Elastic Beanstalk

Lambda

Batch

Azure

Extensive app deployment and hosting services

Services Include:

App Services

Cloud Services

Service Fabric

Container Service

Batch

Google

Includes developer tools but has fewer PaaS capabilities

Services Include:

App Engine

Cloud Tools for PowerShell

One of the most significant advantages of cloud computing is the simplicity of deploying applications.

AWS

AWS offers app deployment solutions including Container Service, Elastic Beanstalk, Lambda and Batch. However, they have fewer app hosting features than Azure.

Azure

Microsoft has used its extensive knowledge of developer tools to gain the competitive edge for hosting cloud applications. Azure has a broad selection of app deployment and hosting options for developers.

Google

Google Cloud enables developers to build and deploy apps on its Google App Engine platform, but it offers fewer PaaS capabilities than AWS and Azure.

6. Open Source Developer Capabilities

AWS

Open-source capabilities

Contributes to Linux, Kubernetes & more

Azure

Open-source capabilities

Recently acquired GitHub

Google

Leads in open-source capabilities

Created over 2,000 open source projects

Open source software (OSS) is one of Google Cloud’s key differentiators. Google has created over 2,000 open source projects in the last decade and become one of the largest contributors to OSS.

AWS is known for welcoming Linux users and offers several integrations for open source apps.

Microsoft is also embracing open source technologies. It recently open-sourced the .NET Framework, and the new .NET Core runs on Windows, MacOS and Linux. About half of Azure VMs are running Linux, according to Microsoft.

Azure

Google

AWS, Azure and Google all offer slightly different pay-as-you-go pricing models and discounts for various services.

For example, Google offers one-year and three-year committed use discounts. Azure lets you save up to 72 percent when you sign up for a one-year or three-year term on Windows or Linux virtual machines. AWS also offers steep discounts when you make upfront payments for Reserved Instances.

All three vendors offer free introductory tiers to allow customers to try before they buy. They also offer credits to coax innovative startups onto their platforms.

AWS Vs. Azure Vs. Google Cloud: Pros and Cons

There are countless factors to consider when vetting cloud providers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to take a step back and look at each provider’s overall strategy and strengths. Do they align with yours?

AWS, Azure and Google Cloud each stand out from the pack in different areas. Let’s compare their biggest strengths and weaknesses.

AWS Pros and Cons

AWS Strengths

Most mature, enterprise-ready provider

Broad collection of services and partner ecosystem

Recommended for all use cases that run well in a virtualized environment

AWS Weaknesses

Requires advanced technical expertise to implement

Lacks strong hybrid cloud support

Extensive catalog of offerings can be overwhelming to navigate

AWS offers the most robust features and services, partner ecosystem and global footprint. It ranks highly across security, reliability, monitoring and policy features and platform configuration options. AWS is constantly adding new services and enhancing existing ones with new capabilities.

However, if a hybrid cloud strategy is important to your business, AWS may fall short compared to Azure.

Another caution with AWS is its scale. Smaller companies may find it difficult to navigate the extensive portfolio of services, and some see AWS as being a complex provider to manage.

Microsoft Azure Pros and Cons

Azure Strengths

Recommended for all use cases that run well in a virtualized environment

Azure Weaknesses

Poor support for large-scale implementations

Advanced technical expertise is required to implement Azure in a reliable, secure way

Historical issues with infrastructure reliability

If you already run a Microsoft-centric environment, Azure can be a natural fit. Azure integrates seamlessly with key on-premises systems like Windows Server, Active Directory and System Center. Microsoft also excels in its PaaS and hybrid cloud capabilities.

One disadvantage of Azure is the level of technical expertise required to configure and maintain it in an efficient, reliable and secure way. Azure configurations are known for being difficult and frustrating to implement.

Azure has also faced a series of outages over the years, causing reliability issues for virtual networks. Microsoft is constantly investing in reducing disruptive maintenance and improving its reliability.

Google Cloud Weaknesses

Google Cloud has established itself as a viable alternative to AWS and Azure with its reliable IaaS and PaaS capabilities and its deep investments in machine learning.

Google has a good track record with cloud-native startups and the open source community, but it has struggled to break into the enterprise market.

Google Cloud’s network of MSP and professional services partners is also limited. This small partner ecosystem amplifies the challenges and risks involved with adopting Google Cloud Platform.

Navigate AWS, Azure and Google Cloud With New Horizons

No matter which cloud provider you choose, having the right cloud skills under your belt is essential. Configuring, implementing and maintaining an efficient cloud environment requires advanced technical expertise.

New Horizons offers the latest cloud training courses for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Whether you’re implementing cloud services for the first time or taking on new responsibilities as a seasoned cloud professional, New Horizons offers cloud training for every expertise level.

Virtualization is one of the oldest and most widely adopted computing technologies. Today, 75 percent of organizations use virtual servers.

Virtualization practices have come a long way since IBM released the first commercially available virtual product in 1972. And new trends are constantly emerging to help organizations get more from their virtual environments.

So what does the future of virtualization look like?

In this post, we’ll explore four key virtualization trends that IT professionals should prepare for and training courses to keep you ahead of the virtualization curve.

1. Broader Security Implications

Virtual machines and servers are more secure than their physical counterparts in some ways — and more dangerous in others.

Although cybercriminals must possess advanced hacking skills to penetrate a virtual environment, the interconnectedness of virtual environments creates a wider threat surface. Cybercriminals can attack an entire network by infecting one machine.

As virtual penetration tactics advance, your security measures need to keep pace. For IT professionals, that means understanding that virtual servers add another layer of technology to your computing system on top of hardware and applications. This third layer must be secured just like the first two.

The activities used to secure virtual and physical environments are similar, but the techniques differ.

Enrolling in virtualization training courses is a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest security best practices, including:

2. Greater Management Complexity

If you’ve been running virtual machines for years, you’re likely running into more complex management issues. Although virtualization allows companies to have more extensive data centers than ever before, it poses new configuration problems.

Managing all the moving parts of a virtual data center requires new skills that are uncharted territory for IT staff who’ve been manually managing on-premises data centers for years.

You cannot manage large virtual data centers manually. They require automation and composability, or the ability to provision workloads only when necessary. This new style of server management means admins must learn how to configure virtual servers.

Failing to learn proper virtual configuration and management techniques can result in VM sprawl — or forgotten virtual machines that were created without the appropriate lifecycle and security controls. When you forget about virtual machines, you spend unnecessary money on storage, lower your performance bandwidth and put your data at risk.

Because virtual machines are so easy to create, VM sprawl is a common issue. That’s why you must educate yourself on proper configuration and management techniques.

3. Growing Storage Costs

Virtualization gives you instant access to computing resources. But with this capability comes increased storage costs.

When multiple VMs run on a single physical host, your server can have a hard time coping with the high levels of random input and output. As a result, businesses quickly find that they need more storage, which means more money.

IT professionals must be privy to the increased storage demands of virtualization and plan accordingly. The best way to mitigate storage costs for a virtual environment is to implement solutions like storage virtualization, deduplication and thin provisioning. These technologies help you get the most capacity out of your infrastructure.

You should also keep in mind that storage management software with automation capabilities can help you reduce system load.

4. Performance Issues

Virtual machines that are set up correctly perform at the same level as physical machines. But businesses that inadequately plan, configure and deploy their virtual environments may experience performance issues.

One tactic is resource throttling, or using a hypervisor to control CPU memory, network bandwidth and disk bandwidth for each VM. Administrators can also perform tests to drill down into which VMS are using the most CPU resources and leverage tools like VMware’s Distributed Resource Scheduler.

Get More From Your VMs With Virtualization Training

Server virtualization significantly reduces an organization’s dependency on hardware and offers enormous cost savings. However, this sophisticated technology also presents new issues that IT professionals must navigate.

Stay on top of virtualization trends and best practices with New Horizons training courses. As the No. 1 independent IT training company in the world, New Horizons offers expert-led training courses for the most popular virtualization vendors:

Whether you’re new to the virtualization world, need a refresher or want to become an expert, taking courses and certifications can help. Find out more about our learning approach or contact us today for more information.

The amount of data in the world is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Ninety percent of the data that exists today was generated in the last two years.

As organizations race to harness and utilize big data faster than the competition, specialized data professionals are in high demand.

What does big data mean? How can it translate into a lucrative, rewarding career path? What does a career in big data look like?

This resource breaks down all your questions; what big data is, how it’s used, top data skill sets and the different big data career paths.

What Is Big Data?

Big data refers to enormous sets or groups of data that are analyzed computationally to reveal trends, patterns and associations.

Big data comes from many different sources. Transactions, log data and emails are the largest sources of data housed within organizations. External data sources can include everything from social media and audio files to photos and videos.

The concept of business analytics and big data has been around for decades.

As technology and the internet transformed the workforce, they produced an unprecedented amount of data, spurring demand for skilled analytics professionals who can utilize data to make better business decisions.

How Is Big Data Used?

The goal of big data is deceivingly simple — to discover how data can be used to ask questions, solve problems and make smarter business decisions.

These troves of data give organizations a competitive edge and better insight into their customers. For example, a hospital might analyze admissions records to ensure the hospital is properly staffed and equipped to provide the best patient care.

An investment firm can use historical data and mathematical models to maximize portfolio returns. Retail companies use their purchase data to identify customer preferences, spikes in demand and behavior metrics to ensure they’re delivering the right products to their audience.

How to Prepare for a Career in Big Data

Big data is only as good as the intelligence that can be gleaned from it.

Professionals with the technical acumen to analyze large quantities of data are in high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the field is expected to grow 27.9 percent from 2016 to 2026 — faster than average for other occupations.

Big data career paths vary widely depending on the industry and business needs.

A data analyst at a healthcare company could have a starkly different role from a data analyst at a government organization. Database administrators have different functions, training and backgrounds than different engineers.

Let’s take a look at education, data skills and different roles within the vast field of big data.

Education

While there isn’t a degree in big data, there are skills and educational backgrounds that can help define your career path.

Obtaining your bachelor’s degree in an analytical or mathematics-oriented field such as statistics, computer science, math, information management, finance or economics is an excellent foundation for a big data career.

Alternatively, building relevant skills through professional IT training courses and certifications can help prepare you to enter the big data field.

Big Data Skill Sets

Before you’re ready to enter the workforce, you’ll want to spend time developing your portfolio of data skills. Here are a few technologies and topics to master:

Hadoop: This open source software framework for running applications and storing data provides massive storage and processing power to handle large quantities of data.

SQL Database & Querying Skills: Many organizations rely on SQL databases to store and organize their data. Data professionals must be able to manage SQL data warehouses and extract the information they need using advanced SQL queries.

Soft Skills

Data professionals toe the line between technical data analysis and business development. They must be able to communicate the data effectively to non-technical teams and executives in the organization. Important soft skills for big data professionals include:

6 Big Data Career Paths

Database developers and administrators develop and maintain the IT infrastructure that supports big data. Other roles focus on using big data to generate actionable insights organizations can use in decision making, strategic planning and business development.

1. Database Administrator
Average Salary Range: $98,000 – $140,000

Database administrators are responsible for the integrity, performance and security of a database. Their duties include everything from planning databases to troubleshooting and monitoring them to ensure data security.

After the database is housed, grouped and managed, it’s time to analyze it. That’s where big data analysts come in.

Data analysis is one of the more common big data occupations. Data analysts collect, analyze and perform statistical data analysis, working with large volumes of data to turn it into business insights their team members can use.

4. Data Scientist
Average Salary Range: $90,000 – $110,000

Data scientists understand data from a business point of view.

They go a step beyond standard statistical analysis to create new algorithms to analyze and utilize data. They build statistical models and utilize advanced programming skills to identify high-level business trends and insights.

5. Big Data Engineer
Average Salary Range: $95,000 – $150,000

There is significant overlap between data engineer and data scientist roles.

Data scientists are heavily involved in using the data infrastructure, but they aren’t responsible for maintaining it.

Data engineers are focused on the products that support data scientists’ work. They design and manage how data is housed and build scalable, high-performance infrastructure that delivers cohesive information from raw data sources.

6. Data Modeler
Average Salary Range: $111,000 – $160,000

A data model is a representation of the business and information needs in an enterprise.

Data modelers turn business requirements into conceptual and physical data models. They could reduce redundancy of data within a computer system or improve how it’s transferred between users an organization.

Big Data Training With New Horizons

Big data has exploded over the last decade and shows no signs of slowing down. Whether you’re looking to hone your SQL database skills or become proficient in Hadoop, New Horizons has the training courses and certifications to elevate your skill level and your career.

As a leader in networking and cybersecurity solutions, Cisco is the gold-standard for network security training. Cisco security training prepares you to secure Cisco networks and maintain the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data and devices within your organization.

Whether you want to break into the industry or sharpen your network security skills to protect your organization, Cisco has training courses to match your needs.

Getting Started: Basic Cybersecurity Skills

Companies are investing in cybersecurity more than ever before. But it’s not just about installing an application. Robust network security requires highly trained professionals who know how to detect and prevent cybersecurity threats at every level of an organization.

If you’re starting from the beginning in your cybersecurity career, there are four pillars of cybersecurity skills you should master before moving on to Cisco security training:

1. Operating Systems

Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android — operating systems are the glue that holds networks together. Aspiring cybersecurity professionals should develop an administrator and server-level understanding of how applications, subsystems and users reside and interact in an operating system.

Depending on your career goals, this knowledge includes both general and industry-specific security concepts. Industries such as healthcare, finance or government have specific compliance requirements and risks that demand specialized training.

Before selecting training, review job postings that interest you and the skills employers want to see. Knowing the type of security job you’re interested in and the required skills can help guide your security training.

Cisco Security Training

Earning a Cisco certification gives you real-world experience with the networking technology and demonstrates your initiative and technical acumen to employers.

Cisco’s training and certifications include entry, associate, professional, expert and architect level courses. The two main paths are network design and network operation.

Cisco certifications span several categories, allowing you to specialize based on your interests or career aspirations. Focus areas include:

Collaboration

Cybersecurity Operations

Data Center

Design

Routing and Switching

Wireless

Cisco Security Career Paths

Within Cisco security, there are several career paths, roles and industries you can pursue. Thinking through your desired career path before enrolling in Cisco courses will help you get the most value from your training experience.

Cisco security careers range from entry-level security analysts to advanced architects. While the roles vary depending on the industry and organization, they typically fall into the following categories:

Selecting Cisco Security Certification Paths for Your Ideal Career

Finding the right Cisco security training courses for you depends on your desired career path, skills and experience.

Cisco offers certifications for every experience level to help further your networking career. Choose from three Cisco security certifications, including:

Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)

The Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician certification (CCENT) is an excellent starting point for a Cisco or networking career. A litmus test for basic network security skills, the CCENT certification prepares you to install, manage and troubleshoot a small branch network.

Earning the associate-level CCNA Security certification proves you have the knowledge and skills to secure Cisco networks. Through expert-led training courses, you learn how to develop a security infrastructure, recognize threats and vulnerabilities and mitigate security threats.

The CCNA Security certification also emphasizes core technology, including installation, troubleshooting and monitoring network devices to maintain the availability and security of data and services.

The certification equips IT professionals to deploy leading security solutions with Cisco routers, switches, networking devices and appliances. Network security engineers also learn how to select, deploy, support and troubleshoot firewalls, VPNs and IDS/IPS solutions for their networking environments.

Cisco Security Training With New Horizons

As Cisco continues to dominate the enterprise networking space, the security skills to protect it will be in high demand.

Get the training to meet your business, team or personal goals with Cisco security training from New Horizons.

Whether you’re looking for entry-level networking training or want to brush up on your routing and switching, wireless or Cisco product skills, Cisco security training opens the door to new IT networking career opportunities.

As cloud adoption rates soar, more companies are seeking out qualified Azure developers and administrators to maximize their investment.

To help companies and candidates meet this demand, Microsoft developed role-based Azure certifications designed to prepare developers, administrators and solutions architects for real-world tasks. These certifications include:

Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate

Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate

Looking to gain tactical Azure skills to take to your employer or increase your job prospects?

Here’s what you need to know about these latest Azure certification paths and how they can prepare you for the field.

Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert

This expert-level certification demonstrates your ability to create and design solutions that run on Azure.

To become an Azure Solutions Architect Expert, you’ll need to showcase your skills in the following areas:

The solutions expert certification is the perfect next step for cloud solutions architects who have experience with operating systems, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, storage structures, billing and networking.

The certification exam tests your skills in managing subscriptions and resources, deploying virtual machines, managing identities and storage and more. To pass the exam, you’ll also need to know how to perform server migrations and implement application services.

This certification is ideal for cloud administrators who are familiar with the Azure infrastructure and would like to develop their skills using Azure Portal, PowerShell and the Command Line Interface.

If you’re an experienced programmer who’s comfortable with Azure and fluent in at least one Azure-supported language, this certification is ideal for you. Programmers who seek out this credential may benefit from knowing multiple languages, such as C#, Node.js, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell and JavaScript.

Prerequisites: Foundational IT skills, programming skills and experience with Azure

Preparing for Azure Certifications

Not sure which role-based Azure certification to earn? Evaluating your career goals, experience level and personal interest can help you determine which certification path to pursue.

Microsoft offers certifications at every expertise level to help you build or polish your core IT skills.

Depending on your current skill set and career trajectory, you can sharpen your knowledge with Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certifications before pursuing an Azure certification. Earning more certifications opens the door to better career opportunities and higher salaries.

Benefits of Earning the Newest Azure Certifications

Microsoft’s role-based Azure certifications were created to better address the job demands of today’s IT and cloud workforce. By earning one or more of these role-based certifications, you’ll attain valuable skills and knowledge that directly benefit your career.

Role-based certifications boost your credibility as a job candidate or working professional. Azure is also the second most popular cloud computing platform, so these skill sets are in high demand.

If you’re looking to move up the corporate ladder within the IT and cloud services field, embarking on an Azure certification path may be right for you.

Ready to accelerate your career with the latest Azure certifications? New Horizons offers comprehensive Azure training courses that will prepare for certification exams. Get started today.

SQL Server is a powerhouse system for helping organizations store, process and make sense of complex data.

As a database professional looking to take the next step in your career, having basic SQL Server skills on your résumé won’t cut it. There’s a big difference between writing a basic query and provisioning a highly available database from the ground up.

So how do you develop the skills needed to snag that senior-level job you’ve been eyeing or become a valuable business asset?

In this blog, we’ll cover the advanced SQL training you need to master the platform and take on greater database responsibility.

A company’s success hinges on responsible, accurate database management. Organizations rely on highly available data to complete all sorts of tasks, from creating marketing reports and invoicing customers to setting financial goals.

Data professionals like analysts, developers and architects are tasked with creating, optimizing, managing and analyzing data from SQL Server databases – and there is little room for error. When databases aren’t built or maintained correctly, it’s easy to mishandle or lose valuable data.

Once you decide to pursue a senior-level role, fine-tuning your SQL Server abilities is a requirement. There’s a significant learning curve between entry-level and advanced SQL skills.

Beginners are typically expected to know basic SQL syntax, understand how to select and filter data across multiple tables and be familiar with normalization, indexing, transactions and locking.

Expert SQL professionals are responsible for more complex database duties when it comes to provisioning, managing and optimizing SQL databases. Simply knowing how to complete tasks and filter data in SQL isn’t enough. You’ll also need to understand the inner workings of a database and leverage the platform to solve business problems and increase ROI.

Growing your SQL Server knowledge can seem daunting, but the effort pays off. Senior database developers earn an average salary over $115,000 in the United States.

These are some concepts you’ll be expected to know when applying for senior SQL Server positions:

When and how to denormalize a database

How to set up distributed transactions across a database

How to set up a database for high availability and data recovery

How to use performance counters and understand the database load and behavior by monitoring them

How to read an execution plan and how different parts of the query affect it

How to work within multiple database management systems

Data warehousing and reporting

Many job posts that require advanced SQL knowledge will expect you to prove your mastery of fundamental SQL concepts, including:

Triggers and stored procedures

Cursors (when to use, how to avoid)

Design expertise: defining tables and types of indexes

Performance tuning expertise

Query optimization expertise

Procedural SQL

Many job roles also require you to be up to speed on SQL Server 2016, the latest version of the platform. You should be familiar with the new features, including:

2. Take Advanced SQL Training Courses

One of the most reliable methods to sharpen your SQL skills is advanced, expert-led training. Professional training courses cover the latest SQL Server techniques and give you a chance to practice what you learn in a hands-on environment.

The following courses are geared toward database professionals who already have a few years of experience working with SQL Server.

10986 Upgrading Your Skills to SQL Server 2016

Are you currently working on an older version of SQL Server? This training course is a segue into the latest version of the platform. You’ll learn about the new and enhanced features offered in SQL Server 2016 related to security, performance, data access and reporting.

3. Reinforce Training With Hands-On Experience

Naturally, some of your SQL Server training will come from real-world experience. Take the concepts and strategies you’ve learned from training courses and apply them to your company’s SQL Server environment.

Apply these concepts to stretch your knowledge and hone your advanced SQL skills in the workplace.

Optimize your databases. If you want to prove your SQL Server expertise, you need to think bigger than queries and code. Take initiative to identify inefficiencies, assess your system resources and map database activities to business needs. Develop strategies to optimize your database and make data processes more efficient.

Simplify databases for management staff. Management typically has a hard time understanding databases and how to use them effectively. Create diagrams and reports to help non-technical decision makers visualize where data is being collected, how databases are interconnected and why they’re important to the business.

Prioritize metrics and reporting. Reporting on data doesn’t come naturally for many data professionals. Make an effort to share data frequently and embrace transparency. Proving you know how to extract valuable data and report on it will set you apart from your colleagues.

Focus on business intelligence. Business intelligence is a growing field – and for a good reason. BI helps companies learn more about their customers, optimize processes, produce more accurate data and extract greater ROI from business decisions. As you learn more about SQL Server on the job, find ways to gain actionable intelligence from big data faster and more efficiently.

4. Earn Your MCSE: Data Management and Analytics Certification

Obtaining the right SQL Server skills is one thing. But proving your expertise to a potential employer is another.

If you want to validate your advanced SQL skills and look more impressive on paper, consider earning a professional certification.

The MCSE: Data Management and Analytics certification is Microsoft’s expert-level certification for data professionals. The certification curriculum puts a heavy emphasis on SQL Server 2016 and business intelligence.

Earning this certification validates your ability to build enterprise-scale data solutions and leverage BI data in both on-premises and cloud environments. It’s the ideal résumé booster for any IT professional with proven experience managing and building data solutions.

Gain Advanced SQL Training With New Horizons

No matter what stage you’re at in your data career, investing in SQL Server training is the best way to fine-tune your skills and set yourself apart from your peers.

New Horizons offers hands-on SQL Server courses for database developers, analysts, engineers and architects at every experience level. Courses are designed to prepare you for real-world database tasks and launch your career.

The world generates a lot of data — more than 2.5 quintillion bytes every day to be exact. And that number only continues to grow.

Nearly every organization relies on databases to wrangle, organize and utilize their growing collections of data. That’s where database developers come in.

Database developers help organizations harness the power of data, from intellectual property and customer information to accounting and payroll.

It’s a fast-growing field, and talented database developers are in high demand. Database administration and development is projected to grow 11 percent from 2016 to 2026 — outpacing most occupations — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So how can you become a highly sought-after database developer?

In this post, we’ll tackle the skills, experience, IT training and certifications you need to help you build a successful database career.

What Is a Database Developer?

Database developers ensure that database management systems (DBMS) can handle massive quantities of data. Also called database programmers, developers usually work as part of a software development team.

The role of database developer often falls into three distinct areas:

Modifying and editing databases

Designing and developing new databases

Troubleshooting database issues

What’s the Difference Between a Database Developer and Database Administrator?

There’s often confusion between database developers and database administrators (DBAs).

While the role can overlap depending on the organization, a DBA’s main priority is to ensure databases run smoothly. They work closely with users to maintain, configure and secure databases in an organization.

Developers are focused on creating new applications or expanding the capabilities of existing databases. They’re less concentrated on daily maintenance tasks and more focused on changing and improving how organizations use data.

Here are some examples of typical tasks that database developers perform:

Design new databases to meet the needs of the customers and users

Develop database code to perform specific tasks, such as extracting data for reports, making updates or deleting data

Modify and upgrade existing databases

Use databases to design business intelligence reports

Ensure new IT and business projects meet database standards and requirements

Create IT documentation for new and existing databases

How to Become a Database Developer

You could take many different paths to become a database developer, but these critical skill sets, programming abilities and IT certifications will help launch your career.

1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in a Related Field Or Gain Foundational Training

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in database development, earning a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as applied mathematics or computer science is a good place to start.

While a degree is helpful, it’s not required — some database developers have also focused on building their skills through IT training courses and database certifications.

2. Seek Out Real-World Database Development Experience

Next, you’ll need to build your development and programming skills.

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the primary language that database developers use. SQL allows developers to communicate with the database and perform a variety of tasks.

In addition to SQL, most developer positions also require language programming skills in C, C++, C# or Java.

Different companies use different database management systems, but the majority are built on SQL. As a general rule of thumb, if you know you want to work in a larger company or government organization, you should learn:

Oracle Database

Microsoft SQL Server

If you plan to work on smaller projects, you should learn:

MySQL

SQLite

PostgreSQL

Not sure which platform you’ll be working on? Focus on honing your SQL and programming skills. Each system is created on the same standard of SQL, so the programming skills you learn are transferable.

As a prerequisite, you’re required to earn a relevant MCSA certification before you can pursue this expert-level certification. The MCSA: SQL Server 2014/2014 and MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Development both fulfill this requirement.

Oracle Database Certifications

Database Design & Programming With SQL

Learn how to design and create data models, develop databases and analyze complex business scenarios. It’s an ideal certification for professionals interested in learning techniques to build, design and extract information from a database.

4. Build a Repertoire of Soft Skills

To advance your career as a database developer, you also need to build up an arsenal of soft skills.

Database developers consistently use critical thinking skills to translate business pain points into database solutions. They work closely with nontechnical users to ensure all databases are functioning as intended. They also routinely work with executives and management on IT projects and objectives.

In addition to technical skills, database developers need to demonstrate they have the critical thinking, communication and leadership skills to communicate technical projects in clear, concise language to the rest of the company.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/59/title/4-Career-Paths-for-System-Administrators-(And-the-Certifications-You-Need-to-Succeed)4 Career Paths for System Administrators (And the Certifications You Need to Succeed)Wed, 17 Oct 2018 13:44:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/59/title/4-Career-Paths-for-System-Administrators-(And-the-Certifications-You-Need-to-Succeed)

System administrators are considered jacks of all trades in the IT world. They’re expected to have experience with a wide range of programs and technologies, from networks and servers to security and programming. But many system admins feel challenged by stunted career growth.

As a system administrator, where can you go next? How do you continue to learn new skills, make more money and keep pace with changing technology?

In this blog, we’ll share four paths you can take to advance your career as a system administrator:

Senior system administration

System architecture

Cybersecurity

IT consulting

1. Pursue a Senior System Administrator Role

If you already love what you do, climbing the ranks as a system administrator is a great way to increase your earning potential and take on more significant responsibilities.

Although the types of system administrators vary depending on company size and industry, most organizations employ system administrators at different experience levels. They might be called junior, mid-level and senior system admins or L1, L2 and L3 system admins.

If you’re currently working at a small company, you might have limited options for upward mobility. System administrators on small or one-person teams are forced to manage the entire infrastructure on their own, leaving little time to learn and improve.

Moving to a larger organization might offer the change of pace you’re seeking. Working in a larger company gives you the opportunity to specialize.

Whether you want to move up in your current company or go after a job at a bigger company, learning a new technical specialty is the fastest way to address your weaknesses and become a better system administrator.

Is there an aspect of your job you find more challenging than others? Think about a technology or specialty that you want to gain more experience in, such as:

Database administration

Network administration

Security administration

System analysis

Cloud technology

Programming

Project management

Getting certified in relevant technologies teaches you new system administration skills, shows initiative to current or future employers and allows you to further specialize.

These intermediate and advanced certifications will support your existing system administration skills and help you strengthen any weak areas.

Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator

Microsoft recently released several new role-based certifications for Azure professionals looking to specialize their technical skills. The Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator certification is designed for system admins who want to validate their proficiency in implementing, monitoring and maintaining Azure solutions.

The certification and related training courses cover all major Azure topics related to compute, storage, network and security.

CompTIA Certifications: Infrastructure Career Pathway

The CompTIA Infrastructure Career Pathway is geared toward IT professionals who work in system administration, server maintenance and networking.

The infrastructure learning path includes three intermediate certifications focused on supporting and managing IT infrastructure: CompTIA Server+, Linux+ and Cloud+. If you don’t already have your CompTIA Network+ certification, you’ll want to start there before beginning the infrastructure certification pathway.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching

The Cisco CCNA certification demonstrates your ability to deploy, maintain, secure and operate a mid-size network using Cisco technologies. There are no prerequisites, but it helps to have a Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) certification.

As a system admin, you have endless certifications to choose from. Do ample research and seek out advice from industry experts who hold the position you want to help prioritize the right certifications for your desired path.

2. Become a System Architect

If you prefer to design and plan systems and solutions instead of run and troubleshoot them, the system architect position might be for you.

A system architect or solutions architect offers analysis of technical direction and determines the best technologies to create a system infrastructure.

Becoming a system architect is a natural next step for system administrators. System architects are responsible for:

Planning the architecture of an organization’s IT systems based on company needs, cost and growth plans

Determining the best way to integrate new technologies with existing applications, systems and platforms

Researching, identifying, selecting and testing the technologies required to deliver IT solutions

As a system architect, you’ll experience much crossover with system administration. The main difference is that you’ll be responsible for planning and building the architecture rather than performing maintenance.

Earning a certification can help you streamline the career transition to system architect. Here are a few certifications to start with:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect (CSA)

If your organization uses Amazon Web Services, the CSA certification can prepare you to architect and deploy secure and robust applications using AWS technologies. You’ll learn how to build AWS solutions and provide implementation guidance to an organization throughout the project’s life cycle.

Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect

Now more than ever, businesses are relying on system architects to develop resilient cloud infrastructures. Microsoft’s new role-based certification for Azure solutions architects prepares you to design and deploy highly efficient and modern Azure solutions.

3. Transition Into a Cybersecurity Role

Cybersecurity is a rewarding field for system administrators looking to specialize. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is exploding to keep pace with growing cyber threats.

All cybersecurity professionals begin with general IT experience. As a system administrator, you’re already familiar with security concepts like patching, disaster recovery planning and access control.

Here are some examples of cybersecurity positions you can go after:

Security administrator

Security auditor

Security engineer

Security analyst

Penetration tester/ethical hacker

There are dozens of cybersecurity certifications out there to help prepare you for a career switch. These are some of the best certifications to start with.

CompTIA Security+

The CompTIA Security+ certification will strengthen your ability to implement, monitor and troubleshoot infrastructure, application and operational security. The certification offers a comprehensive, vendor-neutral approach to cybersecurity and is considered an industry standard.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

This vendor-neutral certification teaches you how to think and act like a hacker to protect IT systems from cybercriminals. The certification will get you up to speed on the latest vulnerabilities and malware, information security laws and penetration testing techniques.

As cyberattacks continue to become more sophisticated, having the CEH certification on your résumé will help you stand out from the pack and open the door to some incredibly lucrative job opportunities.

4. Become an IT Consultant

As a system administrator, you already know how to analyze IT systems and pinpoint inefficiencies and threats. If you like the idea of helping multiple companies improve their technology systems, consider becoming an IT consultant.

IT consultants offer strategic technical advice and help various clients develop, manage and integrate successful IT systems. An IT consultant’s job duties include:

Providing strategic guidance on using technology to achieve business goals

Collaborating with in-house IT staff to plan and deploy IT initiatives

Supporting new technology implementation

Analyzing existing IT systems and suggesting improvements

Advanced IT knowledge, sharp communication skills and project management experience are equally important for IT consultants. Focus on earning advanced certifications that exemplify your technical and project management expertise to potential clients.

Project Management Institute (PMI) Certifications

PMI certifications teach you how to understand complex project management concepts and lead and manage multi-functional teams. They help you build credibility and prove your qualifications as an IT consultant.

PMI offers associate and professional-level certifications, so you can choose the one that best suits your experience.

Advance Your System Administration Skills With New Horizons Training

System administration is a springboard for countless IT careers. Whether you want to fine-tune your system administration skills or learn a new technical specialty, New Horizons offers the largest selection of expert-led IT training courses to help you succeed.

Adopting new technology can redefine job roles and business processes across an entire organization. It can also cause a lot of strife, discontent and stress for employees if poorly executed.

When it comes to Office 365, organizations need a robust adoption strategy to train employees, speed adoption and minimize business impact and risk.

Here are critical components of an Office 365 adoption strategy you need to know before implementation.

Why You Need an Office 365 Adoption Strategy

You may have chosen Office 365 for its potential savings, to access productivity tools or to enable greater flexibility and collaboration.

But Office 365 only helps organizations when used to its fullest potential. Here’s how a strong Office 365 adoption strategy aids individuals and organizations:

Minimize confusion with a new system. Individuals are naturally resistant to change, and introducing new technology into an organization presents a unique set of challenges. An Office 365 adoption strategy goes beyond the technical implementation to ensure employees are confident navigating Office 365 and understand its value.

Empower staff to take advantage of new features. If employees only use Office 365 for email, the entire organization misses out on key features that could help boost productivity and amplify your investment. A successful adoption strategy enables employees to integrate Office 365 tools into their daily workflows, work habits and processes.

Maximize the return on your technology investment. Adopting organizational change management strategies (OCM) to drive your Office 365 implementation can maximize your savings. In fact, companies that used OCM saw an ROI of 143 percent versus 35 percent for programs that didn’t utilize OCM, according to a McKinsey study. By developing a plan to adopt other Office 365 features, you can identify opportunities to consolidate or cancel existing subscriptions, saving even more.

Reduce unnecessary work for IT staff. A thorough adoption strategy can reduce redundant help desk requests and extra work for IT staff during Office 365 rollouts.

Critical Factors to Include in Your Office 365 Adoption Strategy

To reap the full benefits of Office 365, stakeholders must look beyond the technical requirements and address migration goals. Here are four critical elements that many businesses miss in their Office 365 adoption strategy.

Define Your Business Goals

An Office 365 migration is a complex technical project. It’s a major investment that could transform your business operations. To justify the move, it’s crucial to define business goals and communicate them to employees.

Whether you want to centralize IT administration, improve employee satisfaction, reduce costs or increase collaboration, business goals should be the foundation of your Office 365 adoption strategy, rollout and training.

Identify Your Business Scenarios

Business scenarios take goals one step further, translating high-level business objectives into specific use cases across various Office 365 features. They illustrate how each component of Office 365 will move the organization closer to its broader business objectives, such as increasing savings or employee productivity.

Business scenarios vary widely depending on your industry and operations. They can include everything from collaborating and sharing documents to updating devices and automating financial processes.

Understand and address business challenges. Identifying business scenarios bridges the gap between Office 365 capabilities and your team’s current roadblocks to find opportunities to improve work processes.

Add context to training. It’s not just about learning a new technology. For a successful Office 365 adoption, users must see how it fits into their daily workload. Defining the top business scenarios helps teams put training into context and understand how Office 365 will help them work more productively.

Identify Your Key Stakeholders

A stakeholder is any individual or group in an organization that will be affected by the outcome of a project. Also known as champions, sponsors or power users, they’re key allies who can support you in the Office 365 adoption process.

When choosing key stakeholders, think about who will use Office 365. Who will be most affected by the change? Who can influence and drive change in others?

The key stakeholders should reflect a cross-section of your organization.

Executives, project managers, IT staff, human resources and sales will all use the Office 365 features in different ways. A diverse team of stakeholders ensures your Office 365 adoption strategy represents all groups, individuals and needs within a company.

When it comes to successful Office 365 adoptions, stakeholders:

Provide expertise. Stakeholders have a wealth of knowledge about current processes and procedures. They’re great allies for identifying current business scenarios and shedding light on how they can improve in the future.

Reduce risk. Involving stakeholders early in the process can help uncover potential risks and mitigate their effects.

Increase project success. The more engaged stakeholders are, the more they will champion and support your Office 365 adoption strategy.

Create an Office 365 Training Plan

An end-user training plan is the final, crucial step in an Office 365 adoption strategy.

Most businesses start with standard product training — teaching users how to operate and use Office 365.

The key to a successful, transformative adoption is scenario-based training. Scenario-based training teaches employees how to not only use Office 365 but also maximize productivity based on the organization’s business goals and scenarios.

Here’s a sample Office 365 training plan.

Business Scenario/Objective

Activity

Participation

What business scenario or objective are you trying to achieve?

What is the ideal training course or activity to accomplish the objective?

This format does several things. First, it ties business objectives to training, ensuring each training activity has a purpose and goal.

Second, it helps you efficiently allocate training resources. Sales, human resources, marketing and executives have significantly different roles. It’s a waste of time and money to train all employees on every Office 365 feature.

The breakneck speed of technology and enterprise adoption means promising career opportunities for IT professionals — and an overwhelming number of paths to get there.

Whether you’re breaking into the IT field or eyeing a senior role, you need more than on-the-job training to keep up with the demands of the technology-first workplace.

So how do you prepare for an uncertain future in IT?

CompTIA offers vendor-neutral, internationally recognized IT certifications to help individuals and organizations keep up with the digital world — from entry-level skills to advanced training in computing support, security, networking, Linux development and the cloud.

In this post, we’ll walk you through different CompTIA certification career paths, the most popular certifications and how to choose the best CompTIA certification path to accelerate your career.

What Are the Benefits of a CompTIA Certification?

Certifications allow you to home in on the specific skills and areas you want to master, validate your skills and demonstrate IT competency.

Because CompTIA is a vendor-neutral certification and doesn’t focus on a specific technology, CompTIA certifications apply to a wide range of IT careers.

You can also be confident you’ll receive the most accurate information available. IT experts across diverse fields and industries develop and update the CompTIA curriculum, ensuring the certifications reflect the demands and skill sets required in the modern IT workforce.

Choosing the Best CompTIA Certification Path

Before selecting a certification path, be sure it’s the right choice for you. Follow these tips to find the CompTIA certification path that will best serve your goals:

Identify your niche: The IT industry is a vast network of opportunities, roles and specializations — careers vary widely by organization and industry. Research your options thoroughly before jumping into a certification path.

Are you interested in a particular industry or vertical? Do you want to become a CISO or are you interested in IT infrastructure? Identifying your areas of interest will help you select the best CompTIA certification path for you.

Supplement training with on-the-job experience: Training and job experience go hand-in-hand. Don’t invest in certifications and training you can’t apply directly in your role. Make sure you have the opportunity to practice your new skills through a side project or in your existing role.

Keep your training plan flexible: IT careers aren’t set in stone. Technology, organizations and roles continually evolve to keep up with security and business demands.

Some certifications, especially early in your career, may be required. For example, Dell, Intel and HPE service technician roles require the CompTIA A+ certification.

Certain certifications may not be as pertinent for advanced CISO or cybersecurity roles. Keep your learning and development plan flexible — there are always new technologies, CompTIA certifications and learning opportunities that may be better suited for your goals.

The Best CompTIA Certification Paths

CompTIA structures its certifications into several different career paths and specializations:

Information security

Network and cloud technologies

Hardware, services and infrastructure

IT management and strategy

Storage and data

Web and mobile

Software development

Training

Office productivity

Within these categories, there are three key CompTIA certification career paths: Core Certifications, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity.

CompTIA Core Certifications Pathway

The CompTIA Core Certifications path establishes a baseline foundation of IT skills. It’s a good option for IT professionals just starting out or making a career change.

This foundational certification pathway is for individuals early in their IT careers. It covers skills and knowledge to perform everyday IT tasks and prepares individuals for technical support roles.

The Core Certification pathway is also an ideal Litmus test for IT professionals to identify the IT specializations they’d like to pursue.

CompTIA Security+
Prerequisite: At least two years of IT administration experience with a security focus.

CompTIA Infrastructure Career Pathway

Infrastructure is the foundation of IT operations. IT professionals need a solid background in physical server maintenance, virtual system administration, network configuration, storage planning and security to support and maintain IT infrastructure.

The CompTIA Infrastructure Career Pathway is the newest career pathway. It was created to support the CompTIA Network+ certification and more closely align CompTIA certifications with real-world skills that IT professionals need to successfully manage infrastructure.

CompTIA Cloud+
Prerequisite: Two to three years of experience in networking, storage or data administration.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for security IT professionals will grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, significantly faster than average. The need for highly skilled cybersecurity professionals will skyrocket alongside cybercrime.

CompTIA’s Cybersecurity Career Pathway is a great option to flex and develop crucial security skills. The certifications are focused on data and behavioral analysis, network monitoring and how to develop solutions to protect organizations from advanced security threats.

Some of the core foundational skills include:

IT security behavioral analysis

Designing and implementing security systems

Penetration and vulnerability testing

Courses:

CompTIA PenTest+
Prerequisite: Network+ and Security+ credentials or equivalent knowledge is highly recommended. Minimum of 3-4 years of hands-on information security or related experience also required.

Cybersecurity implementation remains a top challenge among organizations in 2018. As a result, the demand for chief information security officers (CISOs) continues to grow.

Rising salaries and demand for CISOs underpin the integral role they play in modern organizations. The median salary for a CISO in the U.S. is $155,401, according to PayScale.

A CISO is considered the pinnacle of an IT career, requiring a wide range of IT experience, strong leadership and communication skills.

So how can you earn the status of a highly coveted CISO?

Regardless of your current IT role, there are some critical steps you can take to align your résumé with the security skills and experience companies are actively seeking out.

Today we’re tackling how to become a CISO, including the skills, qualifications and training to help you get there.

What Is a CISO?

A CISO manages information security in an organization. As a senior-level position, this role is responsible for ensuring all IT technology and information assets are adequately protected and in line with company goals.

The day-to-day duties of a CISO vary widely depending on the company and organizational structure. Responsibilities can include:

Hiring and managing security and IT professionals

Collaborating across multiple departments to develop and maintain a secure IT infrastructure

Working with executive teams to create strategic IT security plans

Leading the development of information security solutions

Managing cybersecurity incidents from the initial response to resolution

Leading employee education programs

Planning, monitoring and forecasting security budgets

Overseeing software launches and upgrades

Establishing a process for onboarding remote workers

Ensuring network upgrades and significant IT projects proceed without disabling or compromising security

A true CISO focuses exclusively on security, but the lines between a CISO and chief information officer can blur across organizations.

Top CISO Skills

The CISO role goes beyond expertise in information security. It relates technology and security needs to the overall vision and business goals of an organization.

While the daily role varies, CISO skills fall into three distinct areas: risk and compliance management, technical IT expertise and communication and leadership skills.

Risk and Compliance Management

Organizations rely on a wide range of applications, tools, third-party vendors and managed security services to automate and alleviate their work processes.

The IT security landscape is no longer contained within an organization. It incorporates a broad network of vendors, partners, remote workers, tools and processes that present new security challenges and make risk management a critical skill set for CISOs.

CISOs need to fully understand the flow of all data within their organization and must define and manage security policies to protect against information loss, damage, harm or theft.

Compliance is another key focus area for CISOs. CISOs are expected to keep up with changing industry regulations, such as FINRA, HIPAA and PCI, and also ensure their policies and data practices are compliant.

Compliance-related issues that organizations face also include personal mobile device management, software and patch management, GDPR regulations and the Internet of things (IoT). These tasks could also fall under the watch of the CISO.

Technical IT Expertise

CISOs need to be well-versed in managing complex IT architecture. Although they may not be involved in the daily execution, CISOs regularly oversee a wide range of IT operational tasks including vulnerability scans, penetration tests and web application security assessments.

Communication and Leadership Skills

A CISO is one of the most visible IT positions in an organization. CISOs must work closely with operations teams, designers and developers to achieve security objectives.

The influence of a CISO also extends beyond technical teams. They must be comfortable addressing fellow executives, employees, shareholders, investors and security professionals. Strong communication skills are a critical component of a CISO job role.

How to Become a CISO

Becoming a CISO isn’t a linear path. But there are several steps, skills and training courses that can help you cultivate the skillset to prepare you for a CISO role.

Obtain Your Bachelor’s Degree

Nearly every CISO position requires a bachelor’s degree. Select a degree in computer science, business or a related field.

Get IT Security Experience

You can only earn the status of a CISO through extensive field experience.

The CISO role on average requires 7-10 years of progressive experience. Roles in information security, risk management, IT and government are all great building blocks for CISO positions.

A bulk of a CISO’s responsibility centers around security. Aspiring CISOs should seek experience in enterprise information security as a security analyst, security architect, consultant or ethical hacker.

Complete IT Security Certifications and Training

Investing in security-focused IT certifications and training demonstrates your commitment to the field and helps sharpen your IT acumen. Here are a few relevant cybersecurity certifications to earn:

Certified Authorization Professional (CAP)

The CAP certification proves you have the abilities and skills required to authorize and maintain information systems.

The CISSP is a global certification that recognizes the technical skills to implement and manage a security program. It’s an ideal certification for security auditors, architects, system engineers and CISOs. Candidates can follow this certification with a management, security architecture or systems engineering specialization.

Prerequisites: At least five years of direct, full-time experience with information security domains is required to be eligible to earn this certification.

Enforcing a cyber awareness training program is a necessary step to securing your IP and company data. But motivating your entire organization to care about cybersecurity and follow the rules is no easy feat.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to build a resilient cyber awareness training program that promotes better security habits and reduces risk across your organization.

Who Needs Cyber Awareness Training?

There’s a common misconception that cybersecurity training only benefits IT professionals. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Your employees face an increasing number of threats in their email inboxes, networks and web browsers. Most cyber incidents stem from preventable oversights and a lack of cyber awareness. In fact, human error is responsible for 90 percent of data breaches.

Everyone in your organization handles company data daily and should be responsible for recognizing the signs of a security breach.

Cyber awareness training should be a requirement for:

Board of directors

Management

Major shareholders

Partners in the supply chain

Governance, risk and compliance professionals

Product manufacturing and engineering

Internal and external legal counsel

Users with data access

All employees

Elements of a Successful Cyber Awareness Training Program

The bottom line is simple: Nobody in your organization will care about data security, IP protection or privacy policies until you show them why it’s important, how it impacts their roles and what they can do to prevent cyberattacks.

A comprehensive cyber awareness training program should educate employees on common threats they are likely to face in their daily jobs. The length and depth of your training program may vary depending on your industry and company size.

Your cyber resilience training program should cover these four critical topics:

Phishing and Social Engineering

Social engineering and phishing attacks attempt to steal sensitive information through email, chat or other means. They’re successful because they’re disguised to look like they come from trustworthy sources, tricking users into divulging information or providing access.

Important training topics include:

How to identify and counter phishing scams

How to recognize social engineering

Risks of social engineering

Signs of suspicious or fake web pages and software

Access, Passwords and Network Connections

Many employees don’t realize the implications of insecure network connections and weak passwords.

Dedicate a section of your cyber awareness training curriculum to train employees on basic aspects of the network, including access privileges, passwords and secure network connections.

Important training topics include:

Best practices for email and password security

Risks of weak passwords

Access privileges for various job roles

Device Security

In the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) era, more employees are using mobile devices to connect to the company network and access corporate data – creating more entry points for threats. It’s more important than ever for employees to understand mobile device protection and security best practices.

Important training topics include:

Mobile devices and BYOD security

Safe and proper use of mobile devices and tablets

Risks of insecure personal devices

Physical Security

Digital threats aren’t the only risks employees need to worry about. Physical security plays an equally important role in protecting your organization. Leaving a mobile device or computer logged in and unattended is a common mistake that puts sensitive information at risk.

Important training topics include:

Physical security best practices for devices

Guidelines for storing and properly discarding paper documents

Risks of leaving devices and sensitive documents unattended

5 Tips for a Successful Cyber Awareness Training Program

It can be challenging to get end users on board with cyber awareness training. Non-IT employees may not understand the seriousness of cyberthreats or feel like security isn’t their problem – which can make cybersecurity policies difficult to enforce.

Use these tips to create an interactive, impactful cyber awareness program that lays the groundwork for better security habits.

1. Get Buy-In from the Top

An effective cyber awareness training program starts with sign-off from the top. When you present cyber awareness training to the C-suite, use compelling statistics to show the financial consequences of a potential breach and demonstrate how strong cybersecurity is necessary for business growth.

Once you get management to see the value of cyber awareness training, it’ll be easier to get line items approved for training resources.

2. Get Creative with Your Curriculum

If your training program consists of a four-hour lecture and PowerPoint slides, you’re probably setting yourself up for failure.

Practice interactive training techniques to keep users engaged and encourage information retention. For example, have your IT team conduct an internal phishing campaign to train employees on how to spot and report suspicious emails. You can also show users how to handle simulated incidents on their desktop, such as a DDoS attack.

Supplement interactive exercises with PowerPoints, documents, videos and in-person sessions. The more training styles you incorporate, the more likely employees will be to retain information and put their new skills into practice.

3. Start Cyber Awareness Training During Onboarding

Start building the cybersecurity mindset from the time a new employee walks through the door. Make it clear to all new employees that they play a critical role in maintaining the company’s privacy and security.

Include cybersecurity policies and expectations in the onboarding paperwork. Schedule time for every new hire to sit down with an IT employee to set up passwords and security software on devices.

At the very minimum, every IT employee should be required to earn an entry-level cybersecurity certification during their onboarding process.

4. Keep Training Sessions Short, Focused and Frequent

If you hold once-a-year training sessions, that leaves 364 days where cybersecurity is the last thing on your employees’ minds. Infrequent training also spreads the misconception that security isn’t a top priority in everyday work.

Schedule monthly or quarterly training sessions and focus each session on a specific topic. Having frequent training sessions allows you to drill deeper into relevant issues and relieves the pressure to cover everything at once.

5. Update Your Program Frequently

The only thing worse than a dull cybersecurity training session is having to sit through it repeatedly, year after year.

New types of cyberthreats are constantly emerging. You should assess and update your cyber awareness program frequently – at least twice a year.

If you’re repurposing older materials, make sure to update your statistics, replace outdated examples and insert current references that will make your curriculum more relevant.

Cyber Awareness Training for End Users

Supplementing your internal cyber awareness training program with industry leading training courses is the best way to provide your employees with the latest, most relevant security knowledge.

The following training course is designed to educate non-technical employees on the importance of cybersecurity and how it relates to every business sector.

CyberSAFE (Securing Assets For End Users) is designed to help end users become more aware of technology-related risks and teach them what they can do to protect themselves and their organization. It’s geared toward users with all levels of computer experience.

The course teaches students how to:

Understand security compliance requirements and needs

Recognize and avoid different types of phishing and social engineering attacks

Recognize viruses, ransomware and other malware

Secure data on computers, mobile devices, networks and in the cloud

Continuous cyber awareness training is the best way to reinforce security policies and reduce risk across your organization. As the world’s largest IT training company, New Horizons offers cybersecurity training courses for IT security professionals, end users and everyone in between.

Nearly every industry depends on people who know how to write code. And the world’s growing reliance on technology is making developers more vital than ever. By 2020, 10 million developers will be needed just to power the internet of things.

Whether you’re just getting into programming or want to learn a more advanced skill, the number of programming languages out there can seem overwhelming. How do you choose the right language to complement your career goals?

In this blog, we’ll dive into the 10 best programming languages for developers at every skill level, including:

JavaScript

SQL

Swift

Python

Java

C/C++

C#

Rust

Ruby

PHP

How to Choose the Best Programming Language for Your Career

There are a few important questions you should ask yourself before choosing a new programming language to learn.

What kind of development projects do you want to work on? If career flexibility is a priority, learning Python or C++ will allow you to work across different types of programming. If your passion is web development, learning JavaScript or PHP is a smart choice.

How much experience do you have? You won’t want to jump into an advanced programming language like Rust if you don’t have previous programming experience. If you’re a beginner, start with a language that is more high-level and intuitive.

What are your career goals? Do you want to go freelance, work at an established company or work with a startup? Are you trying to be better at your current role? If you plan to apply for a job at a major tech company, research what programming languages they use. For example, NASA, Google and Facebook use Python.

Many programming languages share similar syntaxes and qualities – so if you learn one, it’ll be easier to learn others. The more languages you know, the more agile you can be in your career and development projects.

The 10 Best Programming Languages to Learn Today

1. JavaScript

JavaScript is the most popular language across the web, and it’s a great first programming language to learn. According to Stack Overflow’s 2018 Annual Developer Survey, almost 70 percent of developers use JavaScript.

JavaScript is essential to front-end web development. It’s used to create interactive web pages and dynamically display content to users. It’s popular because it has a forgiving, flexible syntax and works across all major browsers.

JavaScript skills are always in high demand – most of the world’s top websites and apps rely on JavaScript in one way or another. Plus, JavaScript is a great springboard for learning more complex programming languages.

2. SQL

Structured Query Language (SQL) is a domain-specific language used to manage relational databases and manipulate the data stored inside them. Developers use SQL statements to perform tasks in SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Access, MariaDB and PostgreSQL and other popular databases.

Tons of organizations and apps rely on SQL, and 57 percent of developers use SQL in their professional careers.

SQL doesn’t require prior programming skills, but many SQL developers benefit from having experience with JavaScript, PHP and C#.

3. Swift

If you’re interested in Apple products and mobile app development, you’ll need to get familiar with Apple’s programming language, Swift.

Apple released Swift in 2014, and it’s been growing ever since. It’s used to develop powerful, high-performance iOS, macOS and Linux applications. Many developers love Swift for its performance, speed and safety.

With the growing popularity of Apple operating systems and applications, having Swift programming skills under your belt is a wise investment. Swift shares some similar characteristics with programming languages Ruby and Python.

4. Python

Python is a popular general-purpose language found in web apps, desktop apps, network servers, machine learning, media tools and more.

As one of the most user-friendly programming languages, Python has a clear, intuitive and high-level syntax, making it a popular choice for beginners.

Python’s variety of applications make it a powerful and versatile language for different use cases. Python-based web development frameworks like Django and Flask are gaining popularity fast. It’s also equipped with quality machine learning and data analysis tools like Scikit-learn and Pandas.

Becoming an expert in Python is a lucrative career decision. Python is one of the highest paying programming languages, with an average yearly salary of more than $100,000.

5. Java

Java is a general-purpose language that has been a staple in computer programming for more than 20 years. Many Fortune 500 companies use Java to build applications and back-end systems. It’s also the basis for many Android apps.

If you want to build your career in IoT or big data, Java is arguably the best programming language to learn. Java is cross-platform compatible and offers portability and versatility to almost any type of device, making it ideal for IoT applications. The Apache Hadoop big data processing system is also written in Java.

6. C/C++

C is a flexible, efficient old-school program that has been around for decades. C++ is a direct successor of C that offers object-oriented features, making it better for developing higher-level applications.

C++ is a popular choice for building specialized high-performance applications. It’s also the basis for the Linux operating system. A career with C++ typically involves developing desktop applications, computer graphics, video games or virtual reality.

Dozens of languages have been derived from or heavily influenced by C, including Java and C#.

Best Used For: Game development, desktop applications, systems programming

7. C#

Pronounced “C Sharp,” C# is another general-purpose, object-oriented language built on the foundation of C. It’s widely considered the best programming language for building applications native to Microsoft platforms.

If mobile app development or virtual reality is your thing, consider learning C#. Many mobile developers use C# to build cross-platform apps on the Xamarin platform. It’s also a popular choice for building 3D and 2D video games using the Unity game engine.

Although it’s not the most beginner-friendly programming language, C# is easy to pick up if you already know another language in the C family, such as C++.

8. Rust

Rust is a relatively new language developed by Mozilla. It’s intended for low-level systems programming. It emphasizes writing “safe code” by preventing programs from accessing parts of memory they shouldn’t, which can cause unexpected behavior and system crashes.

The Stack Overflow survey found that Rust was the most loved programming language among developers, with 78 percent saying they want to continue working on it.

Rust is a fairly advanced language, so you’ll want to master another language or two before learning Rust. But you’ll find that learning Rust pays off generously. The average salary for a Rust developer in the U.S. is $105,000 per year.

Best Used For: Systems programming

Related Technologies Include: C/C++

Experience Level: Advanced

9. Ruby

Ruby is another high-level language that’s good for beginners interested in web development. It’s easy to pick up and is known for having one of the friendliest and most helpful user communities.

Major tech businesses like Airbnb and Shopify have built their websites using Ruby. It has one of the highest salaries of the top programming languages, paying around $100,000 per year on average in the U.S.

Best Used For: Back-end web development

Related Technologies Include: CoffeeScript, RubyMine

Experience Level: Entry level

10. PHP

If you want to become a freelance web developer or work with WordPress sites, mastering PHP is a must.

PHP is a popular server-side scripting language that powers websites including Facebook and Wikipedia. It’s popular for WordPress and can be embedded in web template systems or used to make HTML webpages more functional.

More than 75 million websites are running WordPress, so there will always be a need for PHP developers.

Learn a New Programming Language Today with New Horizons

New Horizons is the largest independent IT training company in the world. Whether you’re looking to learn your first programming language or enhance your experienced résumé, New Horizons offers expert-led training courses for many of the most popular programming languages.

More than a quarter of managers said they weren’t ready to lead when they began managing others, according to a study by Career Builder. Even worse, 58 percent didn’t receive any training.

Companies say management training is a top priority. But the majority of employees don’t trust or respect their leaders.

Strong leadership propels organizations and careers forward. Great leaders have the power to transform organizations, improve communication, increase efficiency and boost employee retention and satisfaction.

But what does excellent leadership look like? And how do you develop leadership skills?

In this post, we’ll define what leadership is and the benefits of honing leadership skills. We’ll also cover the best training courses to help cultivate a leadership skill set to propel you, your career and your organization forward.

What Is Strong Leadership?

Great leaders set the tone and vision for their teams and organization. They use the resources at hand to creatively solve problems, delegate and manage workloads and direct the organization toward its goals.

They’re effective communicators, collaborators and decision-makers. No matter the industry, experience or perspective, great leaders adapt to their surroundings and empower teams and peers to succeed together.

Titles don’t define leadership. You don’t need to have a manager role or large team reporting to you to be considered a leader — every individual can benefit from leadership training.

The Benefits of Developing Leadership Skills

Effective leadership training can improve profit and productivity. Organizations consistently see higher ROI on talent investment and training and consistently breed strong leaders at all levels.

Despite the considerable impact that leaders possess, many organizations don’t have an effective leadership strategy.

Great leadership benefits individuals and companies. For organizations, nurturing leadership skills creates a talent pool within the company to promote from. It increases employee retention, improves morale and establishes a vision for your company.

For individuals, becoming better leaders is beneficial in nearly any career, role or industry. Leadership training helps you improve productivity and performance under pressure. It can also increase emotional intelligence, enabling you to successfully manage and work with diverse groups of people.

How to Improve Your Leadership Skills

Becoming a great leader is a never-ending process that requires a conscious commitment.

Here are seven steps to ongoing leadership development and training courses to help position yourself and your organization for long-term success.

1. Identify Your Leadership Style

Your leadership style is how you provide direction, motivate people and implement plans.

Everyone’s leadership style is different. Some are assertive, forceful communicators. Others listen first before making decisions.

Using this information, you can home in on your strengths and identify areas to improve.

2. Tackle Your Skill Gaps

One of the best ways to become an effective leader is to identify your weaknesses and areas you’d like to improve.

Maybe you’re a great written communicator but struggle with public speaking. Or, you might be a strong leader but find it challenging to manage conflict. Tackling skill gaps with leadership training can help round out your leadership skills and grow your confidence.

3. Take Measures to Improve Your Communication

Communication matters. According to the Harvard Business Review, say poor communication drags executives. You can be the most stellar employee in the building — that means nothing if you can’t communicate your ideas.

Do you excel at written reports or clam up during a meeting? Or maybe you’re a natural in daily conversations, but clam up when it’s time to switch to presentation mode?

Explicitly identifying when and where you want to improve your communication skills can help you select the best training option.

4. Actively Seek and Give Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback is critical to improving performance — it increases self-awareness and provides guidance and encouragement. As a leader, it’s important to not only be able to give constructive feedback but receive it as well.

Here are the elements of effective, constructive criticism:

Specific and descriptive: Vague feedback is useless. Stick to the issue at hand, and speak with precise, direct language to avoid misinterpretation.

Addresses the issue, not the individual: Don’t make it personal. Frame the input around the issue you’re acknowledging, not the individual.

Collaborative: Constructive feedback should be a conversation — not a monologue.

6. Cultivate Your Leadership Skills With Training Courses

Once you identify the gaps, it’s time to get to work. Besides on-the-job experience and mentors, training courses are a great way to develop leadership skills you can apply in the workplace.

7. Iterate and Improve

Improving leadership skills is a never-ending process. From feedback, mentorship, experience, trial and error and training courses, continual learning and growth should always be a top priority for individuals and organizations.

Leadership Training With New Horizons

Poor leadership breeds inefficiency and unmotivated employees, which can be detrimental to a business. On the other hand, excellent leadership skills can transform an organization.

Whether you’re just entering the workforce for the first time or a seasoned executive, New Horizons’ multidimensional training programs can help you elevate your leadership skills to succeed in the workplace.

Security is one of the top challenges for organizations moving to the cloud. The average large organization receives 17,000 security alerts per week, and many companies struggle to retain qualified security talent and respond to evolving threats.

Many organizations turn to Microsoft Azure, one of the largest public cloud providers, to help centralize and monitor security across cloud services.

As an IT professional, knowing how to secure your Azure environment and protect the flow of sensitive data is essential. Having Azure security skills under your belt helps you better protect your organization and gain a significant leg up in your career.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the best Azure security certifications and training for mastering Azure security and becoming a superhero within your organization.

Azure Security Features You Need to Know

To combat the increasing volume of security threats, Azure has best-in-class security controls built into its infrastructure.

Azure Active Directory: Azure AD, the most popular directory service in the world, is a central hub used to manage access across all your cloud services, including Azure, Office 365 and hundreds of popular SaaS and PaaS cloud services, as well as on-premises services.

Azure Security Center: The security center provides insights into security issues and suggestions for fixing them. It features security alert dashboards that combine Microsoft Intelligence Security Graph with machine learning and visualizations to help you understand and remediate issues.

Azure requires platform expertise. Azure’s robust platform includes many moving parts that need to work together to remain secure and functional. You need a firm grasp on cloud, network and data security best practices and how they work together in Azure.

You also need to know how to leverage Azure’s unique intelligence to keep pace with evolving threats and identify security breaches before they cause damage.

Azure offers a broad spectrum of configurable security tools. It’s up to you to customize and control the tools to meet your organization’s unique security needs.

Investing in professional training and certifications is one of the best ways to master the latest Azure security requirements, best practices and strategies.

The Best Azure Security Certifications

Getting certified in Azure is a smart career investment. These Microsoft certifications prioritize Azure security in their curriculums.

MCSA: Linux on Azure

Azure and Linux share a close relationship. More than a third of virtual machines running on Azure are Linux VMs.

MCSA: Cloud Platform

This certification demonstrates your expertise in Microsoft cloud-related technologies, including Azure, and your ability to leverage them to reduce IT costs and deliver more value for modern businesses.

When you embark on this certification path, you’ll take a deep dive into the Azure platform and learn about its security features, techniques for monitoring and managing cloud data and more.

MCSE: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure

After you’ve earned at least one of the above MCSA certifications, you’re qualified to work toward an expert-level Microsoft certification.

The MCSE: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure certification is one of the top paying IT certifications. Earning your MCSE can help you move up in your career and increase your earning potential.

This certification proves that you have the skills to run an efficient, secure and modern data center. It validates your expertise in cloud technology, identity management, systems management, storage, networking and virtualization.

This Certification Is Ideal For:

Aspiring IT managers

Cloud administrators

Cloud architects

Information security analysts

How to Earn Your MCSE: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Certification

Earn your MCSA in one of the following: Cloud Platform, Linux on Azure, Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2016.

Take these recommended training courses:

All the suggested training courses listed above for the MCSA: Cloud Platform certification

Note: You can’t use the same exam to fulfill both MCSA and MCSE requirements. You’ll need to pass a unique elective exam you haven’t taken before to earn your MCSE.

Sharpen Your Skills With New Horizons’ Azure Security Program

Expert knowledge of Azure and cloud security go hand-in-hand. One of the best ways to build your confidence as an Azure security expert and strengthen your organization’s security posture is through the New Horizons Learning-as-a-Service (LaaS) platform.

The Azure security program from New Horizons is a blended training curriculum designed to help you master Azure security and learn at your own pace.

This blended training program is geared toward IT professionals who work closely with Azure on a regular basis, including security engineers, chief information security officers, solution architects and system administrators.

Whether you’re dabbling with Azure for the first time or a seasoned professional, strengthening your Azure security skills will enhance your value in any organization.

Organizations are saturated with data. From financial statistics to contact information, consumer behavior and sales numbers, companies are wrestling with vast quantities and volumes of information — and many are struggling to utilize it properly.

The influx of data has spurred a massive demand for professionals who understand how to structure, analyze and interpret big data to solve business problems. That’s where data scientists come in.

What Is a Data Scientist?

Data scientist is a relatively new career path. Coined in 2008, data scientists use data and analytics to inform operational and strategic decisions in organizations.

At a macro level, data scientists solve organizational data problems, working in a range of industries from software and retail to financial and industrial organizations.

Data Analysts: An entry-level position, data analysts examine data and create reports, bridging the gap between data scientists and non-technical teams in an organization. Often confused with business analysts, data analysts interpret and visualize data, while business analysts are focused on the business implications of the data. Learn how to become a business analyst.

Data Scientist: Data scientist roles are firmly rooted in analysis. They take business problems and use statistics and algorithms to create mathematical models, applying them to analyze and interpret data. It’s a highly analytical role and also one of the highest-paying data science career paths.

Data Engineer: Data engineers implement data models in code. Managing large amounts of data, they tend to focus on cleaning up data sets, coding and fulfilling requests from data scientists.

Tips to Become a Data Scientist

Data science requires mathematical and statistical skills, an investigative mind, a strong understanding of computer languages and the ability to write code.

Here are a few tips to develop these skills and navigate your data science career.

Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree in a Related Field

Data scientist careers require a bachelor’s degree in a similar field, like mathematics, economics, computer science or physics.

As data science progresses, graduate degrees may become increasingly useful. Several universities have launched master and Ph.D. data science programs, but they’re not required for a career in data science.

Seek On-The-Job Experience

Because data science is a relatively new profession, few data scientists have decades of experience in that exact role.

Individuals looking to break into data science can gain valuable experience in similar fields as an IT analyst or specialist. Look for opportunities to develop data analysis, architecture and coding skills.

Learn Programming Languages

Along with data analysis, programming skills are the bread and butter of data science. Specializing in a programming language is a great way to escalate your data science career. Python and R are the two most widely-used languages in data science.

Develop Storage and Database Skills

Big data has unique storage and processing requirements. Hadoop and Spark are two frameworks for storing data and running applications. They hold enormous processing power and are used in tandem by many data scientists to store and process information.

Data Science Training With New Horizons

Data science is booming. Demand is high for professionals who know how to leverage data in organizations.

Whether you want to jumpstart your data science career or brush up on your advanced Python skills, data science training at New Horizons can help you hone and develop the skills you need to advance your career.

Effectively managing from within an IT department requires expertise in a number of areas. From understanding the work environment, to developing well-honed interpersonal skills, as an IT leader you must constantly be improving your craft. The ten topics listed and described below are among the most important in your journey from individual contributor, to IT manager, to CIO and beyond.

These first three areas are not skill-based, they’re knowledge-based. Your understanding of these topics gives you the knowledge to make informed decisions, the perspective to prioritize scarce resources, and the business acumen to be a respected and “business first and technology a close second” executive or leader. These topics are:

Learn the “Business of IT”

The “Business of IT” is your ability to perform, oversee and/or measure the activities performed by the IT function. This includes project management, daily/nightly production operations, vendor management, data management, client/user support and other IT-related tasks. Of course, it’s impossible to be an expert in all of these areas, but you should have an understanding of what they are, how they work, and how they all interconnect.

Understand your company’s business and industry

Leaders within IT can no longer just be the “head techies”, they must now be business executives who understand how to lead a technology-based organization. It’s this understanding that will let you think of technology in business terms, thus giving you the potential opportunity to help define your company’s business strategy, not just execute its technology components once the decisions are made.

Keep abreast of leading IT trends and technologies

It’s this knowledge that transforms you from being a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in your core technical vocation to a thought leader helping drive innovation, creativity and even potentially company-wide digital transformation.

Become proficient at general management tasks

This category stands alone. To be a strong IT leader, you must first be a competent IT manager with the ability to successfully perform the general managerial tasks performed by all managers in all parts of the company. These tasks include items like delegation, prioritization, scheduling, hiring, giving performance reviews, teambuilding, staff motivation, running meetings, budgeting and other related activities. If you are not seen as competent in these standard manager activities, you will most likely never be given the opportunities to expand your existing level of responsibility. Your ability to perform these types of tasks is the table stakes for professional leadership and upward mobility.

Interpersonal Communication

By interpersonal communication, I’m referring to the combination of active listening, formulating quality questions, one-on-one conversations, public speaking, and other related items. As you move up the management ranks, you move from hands-on tactical, to organizational and strategic oriented. Therefore, the higher you go the more important interpersonal communication becomes.

Leading change

IT by its nature is an internal, company change agent. Every new project that’s completed, process that’s modified or software package that implemented causes change in someone’s workflow and/or job responsibilities. Your ability as an IT leader to help those undergoing this change to do so in an orderly and effective manner increases client/user satisfaction & process/software adoption and enhances your professional reputation.

Innovation and creative thinking

Innovation in IT isn’t simply sitting back and thinking deep thoughts. It’s also forming those thoughts in a way that facilitates the successful creation, implementation, enhancement and/or improvement of a technical process, business process, software product, hardware product, or cultural factor that reduces costs, enhances productivity, increases company competitiveness, and/or provides other business value.

Innovation and creative thinking is also the catalyst behind digital transformation. Your ability to innovate positions you professionally to gain a seat at the company’s strategic thinking and decision-making table.

Conflict resolution and difficult conversations

According to Christopher Moore, conflict is caused by one of five key factors; data/information, interest over scarce resources, personal values and beliefs, interpersonal relationships and organizational structure. IT, because of its role within the company, can create issues related to all of these listed categories. As a result, an IT manager’s ability to prevent and/or mitigate conflict has a major effect on his/her ability to work with others and complete required tasks and assignments.

Negotiation

IT managers negotiate with vendors on price, delivery dates, service levels, and myriad other topics. They also negotiate with their business partners on everything from budget to software application features. As a result, negotiation skills are a key element of both IT organizational success and individual professional career development. As author Chester Karrass said: “You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.”

Influence

I’ve saved influence for last because it’s a key ingredient in successfully performing all of the other people/soft skills previously listed. Influence, in this context, is your ability to “let other people have things your way” due to your strengths of character, personality, personal drive or ability to effectively employ influential techniques and concepts.

In closing, as you move from individual contributor to IT manager to CIO, your job becomes less transactional and task-oriented and more strategic and communication oriented. The sooner you enhance your business knowledge, strategic thinking and interpersonal communication skills, the sooner you will be positioned for future career advancement.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/45/title/Cyber-Resilience:-Are-You-Prepared-for-the-Future-of-Cybersecurity?Cyber Resilience: Are You Prepared for the Future of Cybersecurity?Wed, 15 Aug 2018 18:11:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/45/title/Cyber-Resilience:-Are-You-Prepared-for-the-Future-of-Cybersecurity?

You’ve spent endless time, money and resources to secure your infrastructure. You have all the right malware detection, encryption and firewalls in place. But when a cyberattack inevitably hits, will your business be able to function in the aftermath?

The key to quickly bouncing back from a breach or attack is a cyber resilience strategy. But only 30 percent of businesses have one in place.

In this blog, we’ll discuss five tips for building a bulletproof cyber resilience strategy.

Cybersecurity Vs. Cyber Resilience

Cybersecurity refers to the methods, processes and tactics you use to protect your data and systems. It includes implementing technology and best practices to secure your infrastructure and prevent hackers from getting in.

Cyber resilience is your organization’s ability to withstand, respond to and recover from a cyberattack or data breach. The goal of cyber resilience is to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and business operations.

Keeping critical business functions like order fulfillment, customer service and accounting up and running during a crisis is essential.

You can no longer wonder if a cyberattack will happen to your business, but rather when. In fact, 50 percent of small businesses have experienced a data breach or attack. And less than 20 percent feel confident in their ability to identify and guard against cyberattacks.

You need to focus on making your IT systems resilient to attacks instead of purely trying to prevent them. Here’s how.

How to Build a Cyber Resilience Strategy

Your cyber resilience plan should fulfill three goals. In the event of an attack or breach:

Your business needs to stay functional

End users need the ability to access the resources required for their jobs

You need fast search and e-discovery capabilities to meet regulatory compliance and government requirements

Follow these tips to build a thorough cyber resilience plan.

Get Management on Board

Despite published evidence that cyber risks are increasing, cyber resilience is not taken seriously enough. IT managers often have trouble communicating with business leaders about security problems facing the business.

So, how do describe the need for further security measures to business Leaders in your organization? Clearly define the risk and scope of the problem to the board. Demonstrate how costly cyber threats can be to your reputation, intellectual property and revenue.

Involve Your Entire Organization

Cyber resilience education should be part of your core business process. Not everyone has to be a security expert. But everyone should be educated, engaged and involved in incident planning and response.

Employees in every department, from accounting and HR to other technical roles, should understand security and how it impacts their job roles. If they don’t do their part to protect data on company servers and personal devices, a cyberattack can demobilize your entire business.

Having a separate and safe copy of your data is essential. Store regular, detailed data backups on a separate network so you can restore compromised data quickly if an attack occurs.

Automatic daily backups are ideal, but you should back up your data at least once a week.

Implement Backup Solutions

If downtime occurs, you need to be prepared to quickly and seamlessly switch to a backup service. Having a through backup available mitigates the effects of a breach by enabling your employees to continue working and accessing the tools they need to do their job.

Maintaining the ability to search for and access data is equally important. New regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) require businesses to have anytime access to email archives, even during an outage, so they can quickly respond to GDPR subject requests.

Simulate Security Incidents

Simulate a company-wide security incident at least once per year. Run through the steps your business will take in the event of a breach or attack – from how you’ll contain a potential breach to notifying law enforcement, customers and investors.

Simulate the actions you’ll take to:

Categorize and classify the type of attack

Contain the impact

Investigate the root cause

Rectify the issue and return the business to a stable state

Iron out any kinks in your process during the practice run so you aren’t caught off guard in a real-world situation.

When a breach hits, having a foolproof cyber resilience plan will help your employees stay calm and confident while you mitigate the threat.

Cyber Resilience Training With New Horizons

Investing in cyber resilience today will prepare your organization to withstand future attacks and preserve your business reputation and bottom line when a breach occurs.

The best investment you can make in cyber resilience is training. Dedicating staff time to proper cyber security training underscores the importance of security across your organization and arms employees to detect and communicate suspicious activity.

As the largest IT training company in the world, New Horizons offers more than 2,500 expert-led training courses for businesses and IT professionals.

Whether you want to train your non-technical employees on security basics or make your IT staff more cyber-resilient, New Horizons offers cybersecurity training for every skill level and business need.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/44/title/14-New-SharePoint-2019-Features-That-Make-the-Move-Worthwhile14 New SharePoint 2019 Features That Make the Move WorthwhileFri, 3 Aug 2018 17:47:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/44/title/14-New-SharePoint-2019-Features-That-Make-the-Move-Worthwhile

Organizing, sharing and tracking down documents is a constant headache for most businesses and employees. Microsoft SharePoint makes it easy to organize, share and manage documents and streamline business processes.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the new SharePoint 2019 features so you know what to expect and how to prepare.

About SharePoint 2019

It’s easy to assume that most businesses have moved to the cloud. But in truth, many organizations are still running on-premises environments in some capacity. In fact, 65 percent of enterprise workloads are still running in company-owned data centers, according to a recent study.

With the release of SharePoint 2019, Microsoft proves it’s still committed to customers who operate within on-premises and hybrid scenarios.

SharePoint 2019 offers a new, modern design that’s optimized to work across any screen, whether you’re working on a tablet, phone, laptop or desktop. The new iteration aims to help users spend less time searching for content and configuring settings and more time working on productive tasks.

New SharePoint 2019 Features

SharePoint 2019 will support increasingly common hybrid IT environments. It will include many of the features that users felt SharePoint 2016 lacked. Here’s a breakdown of the most anticipated new features.

Modern User Experience Improvements

SharePoint 2019 will include new UX enhancements that are in line with the SharePoint Online experience, including better communication and collaborative capabilities. These features will include:

SharePoint Home: The new home screen will offer all the sites and news you care about in one central dashboard. If you’re familiar with Office 365, you will recognize the SharePoint home screen.

Modern team and communication sites: Likely one of the most anticipated features of SharePoint 2019, appealing to cloud users through Office 365.

Lists and libraries: Modern lists and libraries will also be available in SharePoint 2019.

User-friendly pages, web parts and authoring: Human error is common when creating and editing pages in older versions of SharePoint. With new user-friendly improvements in SharePoint 2019, anyone can quickly and easily create content.

Suite Navigation and App Launcher: The popular Office 365 “waffle” menu will now be available.

Simplified sharing experience: Previously, you could only let outside users access your SharePoint on-premises content by giving them a SharePoint license or anonymous access. Now you’ll be able to enjoy the flexible sharing capabilities offered in Office 365.

Team Site Improvements

SharePoint 2019 will make it easier to integrate your Office 365 group content, SharePoint team sites and Microsoft Teams.

You’ll be able to connect an existing SharePoint team site to a new group in Office 365, giving you access to a group calendar, shared document library and planner to manage tasks. You’ll also have the option to add a team in Microsoft Teams as a hub for collaboration.

In addition, Microsoft Teams will now let you access and share SharePoint pages and news articles, not just documents stored in SharePoint libraries.

Communication Site Improvements

The modernized communication sites will feature new web parts that simplify the process of creating and sharing important updates and announcements. These web parts include Planner, Microsoft Forms, Group Calendar, File Viewer and Twitter.

OneDrive

Organizations with large on-premises libraries will be pleased to know that SharePoint 2019 brings a significantly improved OneDrive Sync Client.

The new iteration will feature OneDrive Sync Client support for personal and team sites, including files on demand. It will also include push notifications to help create a fast, reliable synchronization experience.

Previously, these features were only available in the cloud. Now on-premises users will be able to access them in hybrid environments.

Improved Support for Business Processes

Businesses rely on SharePoint to support collaboration, business process automation and custom business applications.

Moving complex workloads to the cloud can get messy. Fortunately, SharePoint 2019 will include process automation and forms technologies like PowerApps and Flow to connect with your on-premises data.

Administration/Infrastructure Improvements

There are quite a few SharePoint 2019 features aimed at improving administration and infrastructure, including:

Direct links to SharePoint documentation: You’ll no longer need to search far and wide for documents. You can now use direct go-to links in Central Administration.

SMTP authentication for sending emails: You’ll be able to use actual authenticated SMTP (including Office 365) to send your emails.

Workflow Manager 2019: Workflows are not going away any time soon. This new version will replace Workflow Manager 1.0 with new and improved features.

Integration with PowerApps and Flow: With SharePoint 2019, you can expect some deeper integrations with Flow and PowerApps. The new features will have improved performance and fewer restrictions than before.

Hybrid Environments

SharePoint 2019 will advance upon many previous features to make SharePoint easier to configure and manage in hybrid environments.

Here are some examples:

New Hybrid Status Bar: Monitor the status of your hybrid configuration in one view with this new feature.

Holistic Search: SharePoint 2019 will include a modern search feature for hybrid environments.

When Can You Start Using SharePoint 2019?

The public preview of SharePoint 2019 will be available in summer 2018. It’s scheduled for a full release in fall 2018.

Microsoft is set to release some tools and features to ease your SharePoint 2019 migration. These include a new assessment tool that will analyze your SharePoint farm before you migrate. It will work on SharePoint 2010 and above and will offer helpful features like site usage analysis and identity mapping.

Learn New SharePoint Skills Today

While you wait for the new SharePoint 2019, you can still get up to speed on all things SharePoint so you’re prepared for the release.

As the world’s largest IT training company, New Horizons offers SharePoint training courses for every experience level and business need.

Whether you’re planning a SharePoint migration or building a new site, hands-on SharePoint training from New Horizons will help you master the skills you need to excel in your career.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/43/title/New-Horizons-Computer-Learning-Centers-Releases-2018-State-of-IT-Training-ReportNew Horizons Computer Learning Centers Releases 2018 State of IT Training ReportTue, 31 Jul 2018 16:32:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/43/title/New-Horizons-Computer-Learning-Centers-Releases-2018-State-of-IT-Training-Report
Conshohocken, PA — July, 31, 2018 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers the largest IT training company in the world, published new research in its 2018 State of IT Training report.

The 10-page report dives into the top IT training methods, technology priorities and challenges facing modern businesses. New Horizons surveyed hundreds of companies across more than 10 industries to gather new data.

New Horizons’ research emphasizes the need to prioritize corporate training as IT and cybersecurity become more complex. According to the report, only 12 percent of companies believe their IT training strategy is “very effective.”

“Business technology is evolving fast, and companies need well-trained employees if they want to stay ahead of the curve,” said Mark Tucker, Vice President of Marketing. “Investing in IT training is one of the best ways to ensure your company stays knowledgeable, relevant and competitive for years to come.”

The report’s key findings include:

11 percent of companies believe there is sufficient training available for their technology needs

Instructor-led classes are the most preferred training method

Strengthening cybersecurity capabilities is a top technology priority for businesses in 2018

New Horizons has been named one of the top 20 IT training companies by TrainingIndustry.com for 10 consecutive years. The company offers more than 2,500 expert-led IT training courses in 250 learning centers across 50 countries around the world.

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT and business training solutions have kept businesses — from startups to global enterprises — ahead of the technology curve for more than 35 years. New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment with learning methods that meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees.

Effective communication within an organization serves as the foundation for development and planning. It promotes the distribution of information, motivates, and encourages socializing. Without an established line of communication, your organization can suffer from misunderstandings and non-responsiveness that penetrate every level of operation. Think about it, is there anything more frustrating than lack of communication? To prevent these communication gaps and misunderstandings, employees must recognize the essential elements of effective communication, build effective communication strategies, leverage their interpersonal and organizational awareness, and apply effective facilitation skills.

This issue is more than frustrating; it’s costly. Fortunately, there are 6 steps to help employees and managers effectively communicate to their teams and across their organizations.

Understand the Elements of Communication

There’s a history to communication and a very good reason why we collectively decided drawing on cave walls wasn’t cutting it anymore. We discovered that there were better ways to articulate our intentions and feelings. While we won’t take things back to the stone age, employees should be aware of both the classical communication model and the human relations communication model to understand their own content, direction, and style. Remember, communications start with the messenger first! New Horizons' Communicating Across Your Organization course is an excellent place to start.

Develop Self-Awareness

Having self-awareness is more than maintaining your personal space. It is comprised of 4 crucial categories: Spiritual, Physical, Mental, and Emotional. This is a total body experience that gives you a sense of control, value, and motivation. Achieving self-awareness allows you to explore your own strengths and weaknesses in an environment that cultivates positivity and recognizes emotional intelligence. This understanding of self-awareness leads to regulation and self-management, development of social skills, and improving overall empathy. Now you can empathize like the human you are, not just as a self-aware robot (Right?) New Horizons' Expanding Your Emotional Intelligence course will allow you to master these strategies in order to effectively communicate, connect with, and support others through healthy and productive interactions.

Build Your Interpersonal Skills

Let’s build on those table manners of yours! Interpersonal skills can further develop participants’ awareness of themselves and their roles inside the company. The ability to harnesses the power of active listening teaches participants how and when to speak. Because, believe it or not, breaking into a musical number when your frustration over the printer reaches its limit, isn’t socially acceptable outside Broadway. These skills integrate whole body communication and provide detailed interpretations of non-verbal communication, so no “jazz hands” okay? Developing Successful Interpersonal Skills at New Horizons will prepare you for the collaborative situations inherent in every facet of business.

Develop Organizational Awareness

This skill focuses on recognizing how information flows and will help you become familiar with the strategic direction of the organization. You are an essential part of your company and it will help to know who is in positions above, below, and beside you. How can you rise on that corporate ladder if you can’t figure out which way to climb?

Communicate with Facilitation

Most people can recognize a problem, but what are YOU going to do to fix it? Facilitation focuses on getting things done! That means that next month when your company holds a “group meeting”, you don’t just show up, you participate. This type of skill is often found in leaders and is a perfect example of cross-organizational communication. Why not try to Discover Your Leadership Voice where you'll learn proven techniques to find and develop your own voice as a leader – one that builds trust, fosters enthusiasm for change, engages colleagues, strengthens relationships, and achieves results.

Execute Communication Strategies

This final step focuses on the effectiveness of communication and how it will impact different areas of your life, such as your stress levels, productivity, and relationships with others. The biggest obstacles you’ll face in communication are barriers such as language, distance, and culture. But you didn’t get this far just to give up when you don’t understand someone. The use of pictures and interpretations can help overcome these obstacles.

Conclusion

Communicating Across Your Organization offers more than a unique learning experience - it offers an opportunity for you to invest in yourself and see a return on that investment. Once mastered, you will be able to identify the essential elements of effective communication within your organization and much more. Because being able to articulate yourself never goes out of style.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/41/title/4-Cybersecurity-Career-Paths-(And-the-Training-to-Get-You-There)4 Cybersecurity Career Paths (And the Training to Get You There)Thu, 19 Jul 2018 13:45:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/41/title/4-Cybersecurity-Career-Paths-(And-the-Training-to-Get-You-There)

Cybersecurity professionals work in every size company and industry to protect organizations from data breaches and attacks. And the demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing at a breakneck speed. Job postings for cybersecurity positions have grown three times faster than openings for IT jobs overall.

Before you jump headfirst into this specialized field, you should know what a typical cybersecurity career path entails. In this blog, we’ll cover four popular security careers and the recommended training you need to be successful:

Security Architect

Security Consultant

Penetration Tester/Ethical Hacker

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

How to Start Your Cybersecurity Career Path

There is no one linear path to a successful career in cybersecurity. Some people enter the security field straight out of college, while others transition from another IT role.

No matter where you start, all cybersecurity careers begin with general IT experience. You need to understand how technology works before you can learn how to secure and protect it.

Entry-level IT jobs that pave the way for a cybersecurity career include:

Systems administrator

Database administrator

Web administrator

Web developer

Network administrator

IT technician

Security administrator

Network engineer

Computer software engineer

You’ll also need to supplement what you learn on the job with outside training and education. In fact, 35 percent of cybersecurity jobs require an industry certification, compared to 23 percent of IT jobs overall.

Most management-level cybersecurity jobs are highly specialized. The more you can focus your expertise by seeking out specific industries and certifications, the more attractive you’ll appear to companies looking for those particular skill sets.

Security Architect Career Path

If you’re passionate about problem-solving and creating big-picture strategies, the security architect career path is for you.

A security architect is tasked with designing, building and implementing network and computer security for an organization. Security architects are responsible for creating complex security structures and ensuring that they function properly. They design security systems to combat malware, hacker intrusions and DDoS attacks.

In the United States, the average salary for this position is $118,681. Security architects are expected to have 5-10 years of relevant experience, with 3-5 of those years dedicated to security.

To become a security architect, you might follow a career path similar to this:

Research and implement the latest security standards, systems and best practices.

Recommended Training for Security Architects

Because the security architect role is a senior-level position, employers will look for accredited security certifications on your résumé.

Professional cybersecurity training and certifications will help you accelerate your career path and stand out to potential employers. These certifications reinforce the essential skills required for the security architect role, such as network security and architecture, vulnerability testing and risk management.

Security Consultant

A security consultant is a catch-all cybersecurity expert. They assess cybersecurity risks, problems and solutions for different organizations and guide them in protecting and securing their physical capital and data. The position might also be referred to as an information security consultant, computer security consultant, database security consultant or network security consultant.

Security consultants need to be flexible and savvy – they deal with a wide range of variables when assessing security systems across diverse companies and industries.

The salary range for IT security consultants is broad depending on experience, but a senior security consultant earns an average of $106,190 in the U.S. Security consultants are expected to have 3-5 years of professional experience.

To become a security consultant, you might follow a career path similar to this:

Determining the best way to protect computers, networks, data and information systems from potential attacks

Performing vulnerability tests and security assessments

Interviewing staff and department heads to uncover security issues

Testing security solutions using industry standard analysis methods

Providing technical supervision and guidance to a security team

Recommended Training for Security Consultants

Having certifications on your résumé will help you build credibility as you climb the career ladder. These training courses will expose you to the essential skills every security consultant needs, from ethical hacking to encryption technologies and data breach prevention protocols.

Penetration Tester/Ethical Hacker – Mid to Senior Level

Penetration testers (also known as ethical hackers) look for weaknesses in IT systems, networks and applications using the same knowledge and tactics as criminal hackers. Penetration testers use a series of tools to simulate real-life cyberattacks, identify weak spots and help organizations improve their security posture.

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) – Senior level

If you aspire to lead a security team and spearhead IT initiatives for an enterprise, becoming a CISO is a lucrative and rewarding career path.

The role of chief information security officer comes with a lot of power and creative freedom. CISOs build security teams and oversee all initiatives that concern an organization’s security. The CISO reports to the CIO or CEO.

The average salary for a CISO is $156,000. You can expect to spend 7-12 years working in IT and security before you qualify for a role as a CISO. At least five of those years should be spent managing security operations and teams.

Supervising the development of corporate security policies and procedures

Collaborating with key stakeholders to establish a security risk management program

Spearheading IT security investigations and providing recommended courses of action in the event of a breach

Recommended Training for CISOs

When striving for positions in this level of management, earning accredited certifications is an absolute must. Taking the initiative to continue your education with relevant certifications validates your expertise and dedication to the field of IT security management.

Whether you’re just getting your feet wet in the IT industry or preparing to submit your résumé for a management position, New Horizons offers the hands-on cybersecurity training courses you need to accelerate your career.

Leaders have been dealing with challenging, uncertain business conditions for decades. Today, it’s a near-constant state of change. Organizations are required to not only adapt, but also anticipate change, and leadership has to keep up.

But what does a strong leadership voice mean? And how can you cultivate yours?

Today we’re tackling leadership and communication — what your leadership voice is, why it’s important and how to develop it.

What Is Your Leadership Voice?

Your leadership voice isn’t just your tone or speaking style. It’s a reflection of your core values and communication skills that impact how you present yourself as a leader.

Think about how you communicate. How do you handle conflict? Praise employees? Encourage collaboration? Lead projects? Deliver feedback? That’s your leadership voice.

Leaders have different styles. Some take a hands-off approach, preferring to let employees drive their work with minimal supervision. Others are more task-oriented and like to be involved. Some leaders have an encouraging, coaching style while others are more assertive and direct.

There are many misconceptions about what makes a powerful leadership voice. And considering that 55 percent of CEOs think a lack of trust is a threat to their organization's growth, communicating clearly and compassionately is more critical than ever.

Your leadership voice has nothing to do with volume or projection. A great leader isn’t always the loudest extrovert in the room. An effective leadership voice isn’t about confidence, either. It’s about speaking with persuasive power — engaging employees, articulating your vision and inspiring innovation in your organization.

You don’t need a manager title to develop your leadership voice. A strong voice benefits anyone, whether you’re speaking up in a meeting, providing feedback or pitching an idea to your boss.

Why Your Leadership Voice Matters

The way teams perceive leadership has an enormous impact on employee retention, job performance and overall trust. According to a Gallup poll, engaged teams show less turnover, higher productivity and profitability.

Consistency. Core principles guide your leadership voice through every interaction. Some leaders have a mental tagline they keep in mind when communicating, such as, “give the benefit of the doubt” or “listen first; react second.” It prevents a fight-or-flight or knee-jerk response when faced with tough situations.

Resilience. A strong leadership voice is adaptable. It empowers leaders to respond authentically, effectively and constructively to whatever leadership situation or audience they encounter.

How to Develop Your Leadership Voice

Great leaders aren’t born — you can practice and shape your skills. Here are tactics to develop your leadership voice.

Identify Your Natural Strengths and Characteristics

Look inwards first. Write down your strengths and characteristics and be honest with yourself.

What qualities worked for you in the past? What was successful? What can you improve on?

Knowing your strengths, weaknesses and where you’d like to improve can help you outline an action plan to develop your leadership voice.

Read Often

The benefits of reading in business are vast and well-researched. (Bill Gates famously reads over 50 books a year.)

Reading helps individuals be more effective at leading others. It increases verbal intelligence, making leaders more adept communicators. Reading novels can also improve empathy and understanding of social cues — traits linked to improved organizational effectiveness.

Seek Out Role Models and Mentors

Role models and mentors are helpful resources for developing your leadership voice. What leaders or managers do you admire? How did they handle conflict? What did you admire about them? Identifying what you value in other leaders will help you develop your perspective and values.

There will be situations that challenge your leadership abilities. Maybe it’s a difficult employee you’re struggling to communicate with or an important pitch to investors.

Find a mentor you can turn to when your leadership voice falters. They can help you talk through tough situations and develop tactics and talking points to ensure your leadership voice stays strong and you can rise to the challenge.

Practice

Developing your leadership voice takes practice. Offer to take on a new project at work. Pitch your idea to your boss. Volunteer at a nonprofit, community organization or alumni association.

Volunteering for new projects or initiatives will help grow your skills, stretch your leadership muscles and develop confidence.

It’s a process. No one becomes a standout leader overnight. Continually evaluate, iterate and improve on your leadership voice as you grow in your career.

Invest in Professional Leadership Training

Leadership development training is the perfect way to jumpstart your communication and leadership skills. New Horizons offers leadership training courses through the Center for Leadership and Development.

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned business executive, the Center for Leadership and Development has a range of courses designed to help you achieve your business goals and build on your personal strengths.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40176461/title/Learning-the-ins-and-outs-of-NCTA-Cloud-ArchitectureLearning the ins and outs of NCTA Cloud ArchitectureTue, 26 Jun 2018 16:11:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40176461/title/Learning-the-ins-and-outs-of-NCTA-Cloud-Architecture
For more than a decade, cloud computing services have reshaped IT operations by making virtually unlimited amounts of compute, storage and networking resources available on-demand. Everything from Spotify to most modern enterprise customer relationship management software is now cloud-based, taking advantage of the unique advantages of remotely hosted architectures. On-premises alternatives cannot match the scalability and flexibility of cloud solutions, or even the the level of security offered by many providers.

Cloud's growing centrality to IT means that associated skills are in high demand. However, not all competencies are equally sought-after. Expertise in Infrastructure-, Platform- and Software-as-a-Service (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS, respectively) is particularly lucrative for technical personnel. Moreover, a handful of vendors – including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft and Google – dominate the commercial markets for these specific services.

An ideal cloud certification would:

Provide training in the major widely used Iaas, Paas and SaaS applications from AWS, Microsoft, Google and others.

Take a vendor-neutral approach that ensures IT pros can navigate virtually any possible combination of cloud services.

Good news: The National Cloud Technologists Association (NCTA) already offers a certification that meets all of these specifications. Its CloudMASTER credential is one of the hottest for today's IT professionals. Candidates may obtain it via one of two tracks.

Becoming an NCTA CloudMaster: What you need to know

The first option is to complete a sequence of three separate mini certifications:

1. Certified Cloud Technologist

This is the most general of the trio. It examines the reasons companies move data into the cloud and the public cloud technologies they use during the transition, including IaaS like AWS along with user-facing tools like WordPress, Google Drive and Drupal.

2. Certified CloudOps Specialist

In this course, certification candidates explore automation platforms such as Puppet and Chef. They also dive into the security and compliance issues that shape many cloud strategies. Finally, they get to apply this knowledge to the execution of a phase cloud migration.

NCTA offers the valuable CloudMASTER certification.

3. Certified Cloud Architect

After completing this class, IT workers will be able to evaluate different cloud service providers and make informed recommendations for specific projects. They will learn how to gather documentation, align cloud solutions with business requirements and deliver compelling presentations to management on which cloud options to select.

Each course requires passing a corresponding exam. Alternatively, a candidate may choose to complete the aggregate CloudMASTER exam, which covers all three certifications and can be completed in one sitting.

You can earn the NCTA certifications at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. We also offer CompTIA Network+ – a prerequisite, unless you have relevant practical experience – and several other certifications in cloud and big data. Learn more by viewing the listings of courses and certifications today.

Business data is growing at breakneck speed — 40-60 percent each year, according to one survey.

Capturing, managing and analyzing the slew of information entering multiple systems every day is challenging for companies of any size. And every piece of user data that goes untracked is a lost insight that could put your business one step ahead of competitors.

For companies invested in the Microsoft suite, Power BI (business intelligence) is a cost-effective and useful tool for understanding massive amounts of data. Power BI can aggregate insights from hundreds of data sources, including Google Analytics – one of the most comprehensive web data analytics tools.

In this post, we’ll discuss how Power BI can help your business make better sense of complex data and explain how to connect your Google Analytics account to Power BI.

The Capabilities of Power BI

Data analysts are tasked with extracting insights from vast amounts of data to evaluate business processes and create IT-based solutions. But it’s unreasonable to spend days or weeks analyzing millions of rows of data in spreadsheets.

Microsoft created Power BI to simplify business intelligence for analysts, developers and business users. It lets you connect to hundreds of data sources, streamline data preparation and visualize the insights. You can create beautiful reports in minutes that condense millions of pieces of data.

Power BI allows you to:

Integrate data from existing applications: Power BI integrates with your current business environment, so you can adopt analytics and reporting capabilities across applications. You can pull in data from just about anywhere, including Azure, Exchange, SharePoint, Salesforce and even Facebook.

Create personalized dashboards: The most important feature of Power BI is the ability to create customized information dashboards. You can embed custom dashboards and BI reports in any application that Power BI is connected to.

Quickly extract business intelligence: Power BI transforms your enterprise data into rich visuals, making it easy to distill intelligent insights for quicker and more accurate decision-making.

Securely publish reports: You can set up an automatic data refresh and publish reports to give all users access to the latest information.

Data visualization is about more than just creating nice reports and dashboards. It’s essential for summarizing and making sense of vast amounts of data so you can make decisions faster.

Why Should You Connect Google Analytics With Power BI?

Google Analytics is a free tool that lets you track and analyze website traffic and visitor behavior. Google Analytics metrics are important for assessing your company’s website performance, marketing and ad campaigns and learning about your customers.

But as a standalone tool, Google Analytics doesn’t allow you to connect your website data to other company data or compare against data trends.

Power BI makes it possible to connect Google Analytics with hundreds of other data sources. By importing data from Google Analytics into Power BI, you can view website performance metrics in the context of countless other variables.

Integrating Google Analytics with Power BI gives you the ability to:

Get more profound answers to data questions: By amplifying your web data in Power BI, you can uncover hidden relationships or patterns that give way to new opportunities.

Expand your business insights: Tracking site behavior only scratches the surface of your business and brand performance. Put Power BI to work on your Google Analytics data to see the big picture and take business insights to a higher level.

Power BI can help you make more informed decisions about your digital strategy, from website updates to new product marketing campaigns.

You’ll be prompted with a dialog that explains that the Google Analytics connector is a third-party service. Click “Continue” to move forward.

You’ll be prompted to sign in to Google Analytics. When you enter your credentials, you’ll see a message that Power BI would like to have online access. To let Power BI Desktop access your GA data, you’ll want to accept.

After you accept, Power BI Desktop will show that you’re signed in to Google Analytics.

How to Visualize Google Analytics Data in Power BI

Once your Google Analytics account is connected, you can use Power BI’s visualization tools to drill down into your website data.

For example, you can create an interactive 3D map that shows how site visitors track across various locations over time. If you see a spike in web traffic at a certain time and place, you can cross-check the peak against external events, like a local conference or sales announcement. With greater visibility and context surrounding your website data, you can drive smarter, real-time decision-making.

Interested in mastering the most sought-after data skills? As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers expert-led training courses for IT professionals and business users who want to gain expertise in data analysis and business intelligence.

Browse New Horizons’ extensive IT training courses to find the perfect training course for you.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40176198/title/How-to-streamline-your-IT-network-infrastructure-and-improve-productivityHow to streamline your IT network infrastructure and improve productivityTue, 19 Jun 2018 12:44:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40176198/title/How-to-streamline-your-IT-network-infrastructure-and-improve-productivity
When your internet connection slows down or goes out entirely, what's your first reaction? Probably frustration mixed with exasperation as you try to figure out why you can't download any documents, stream any videos or chat with anyone online.

A poor connection isn't just an annoyance, though – it's also a verifiable drag on everyone's productivity. Consider the long-term effects of spending even five minutes each day wrangling with internet-related issues.

Assuming at least four hours of daily usage per week, you're looking at 50 hours of lost productivity every year just for yourself. Scaled across the entire organization, such inefficiency becomes truly costly. So what can you do to boost internet reliability and deliver sufficient network bandwidth?

We've put together five tips for for streamlining your network for optimal productivity across your company:

The engine of an SD-WAN is an appliance that binds these connections into a single logical network with built-in prioritization for mission-critical apps. Accordingly, it obviates the need to continually add more bandwidth to address reliability issues – a costly and inefficient approach.

SD-WAN vendors may be carriers, managed service providers or networking vendors (like Cisco, which acquired Viptela in 2017). The SD-WAN market was nearly nonexistent in 2014 but revenue from equipment and services reached $162 million in Q1 2018.

2. Upgrade your routers with advanced functionality

Similar to SD-WAN, intelligent WAN (IWAN) extends the capabilities of WANs by integrating advanced services that benefit employees in remote and branch offices in particular. Cisco's Integrated Service Router (ISR) is the heart of iWAN.

While IWAN has often been seen as a technically difficult solution to implement, there's promise in the integration between IWAN and SD-WAN. For Cisco customers in particular, Viptela and IWAN may become more intertwined.

More specifically, Viptela software could be implemented into IOS on ISRs en route to eventual full management integration of an end-of-end network combining aspects of IWAN and SD-WAN. This setup is ideal for organizations interested in getting more from existing infrastructure while still pivoting to the advantages of SD-WAN.

Upgrading to IWAN and SD-WAN can greatly enhance network performance.

3. Ensure VPNs are super-easy to set up and use

In the U.S., more individuals are working remotely and on the go. That's good for employee flexibility but potentially bad for productivity, since it means greater dependence on cellular connectivity and home/public Wi-Fi, which can create issues in performance as well as security.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) provide a convenient solution. By extending a private connection over a public network, they secure the end user's traffic regardless of location, so he or she can safely access important company applications and resources.

4. Upgrade your PBX deployment to a VoIP solution

Relying on an old-fashioned private branch exchange (PBX) is not a network reliability issue per se, but it does place major limitations on what people can do with their connectivity. PBXes are difficult to extend beyond a main office – adding more lines is cumbersome and expensive, and integration with other services is limited.

Hosted VoIP solutions provide flexible alternatives. They're usable from both desktop and mobile endpoints in addition to conventional desk phones, can be combined with other applications such as customer relationship management (CRM) suites and ensure that no one has to miss a call. Every call can be forwarded to designated devices.

5. Work with a managed service provider

Managing a network takes time and money. Partnering with a managed service provider is a great way to alleviate the burden and free up IT's time for other projects.

Cloud adoption is accelerating at a breakneck pace, and the lines between private, public and hybrid cloud are blurring. More than 80 percent of companies today use a multi-cloud strategy and have an average of 4.8 private and public clouds.

A multi-cloud strategy involves hand-picking cloud services from multiple vendors to gain more control over and flexibility with workloads and data.

In this post, we’ll discuss how VMware’s cloud products can help your business deploy and maintain a secure multi-cloud strategy.

The Benefits of a Multi-Cloud Strategy

From a business standpoint, having a dynamic and flexible cloud strategy is key to planning for future growth. No single cloud model can fit the diverse requirements and workloads of all business departments. And enterprise needs are constantly changing.

Here are some benefits of a multi-cloud strategy:

Risk mitigation and redundancy: Spreading workloads and data across multiple cloud platforms prevents data loss or downtime in the event of a localized component failure or DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack.

No vendor lock-in: Most businesses don’t want to get locked into a contract with one cloud provider. Putting all your eggs in one provider’s basket could mean trouble in the event of a security breach or operational shortcoming.

Flexibility: Not all cloud providers are created equal. Some cloud vendors are considered front-runners in specific services when it comes to ease of use, resiliency and performance. With multi-cloud computing, you can map your organization’s particular requirements to the proficiencies of different cloud vendors.

Greater scalability: You need a cloud that can grow with your business. Multi-cloud lets you scale down cloud resources when you no longer need them. As business units increase, you can access more data.

A multi-cloud strategy lets each business unit choose its ideal cloud services depending on certain needs, which may include:

Ease of administration

Data privacy and government regulations

Concurrency of workloads

Query performance

Security and governance

Specialized functionality, such as machine learning or AI

Access to big data tools and technologies

There’s no doubt that a multi-cloud strategy is the best way to achieve more agility in the cloud. But it comes with significant risks.

Increasing the scope of your cloud environment puts the pressure on your IT team to maintain visibility, manage numerous vendors and uphold compliance. Spreading resources and data across different clouds with inconsistent security, management and governance models can quickly spiral out of control.

If you want to implement a multi-cloud environment without introducing complexity and risk, you need a consistent infrastructure and set of operations to unify your cloud providers.

VMware’s cloud solutions make this possible.

How VMware Supports a Multi-Cloud Strategy

When it comes to multi-cloud management, VMware is the industry leader. Its cloud solutions empower organizations to securely and efficiently provision and deliver any application on any device from any cloud.

VMware’s cloud products also make it easy for businesses to maintain control over the growth of their cloud services and avoid cloud sprawl. You get to tap into a broad set of cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and VMware vCloud Air.

VMware vRealize Suite

vRealize Suite is a comprehensive software platform built for multi-cloud environments that enables IT teams to deliver infrastructure and applications faster while improving the ongoing management of delivered services.

The platform helps you achieve a consistent set of operational models across various clouds. It provides visibility into usage and spending across multiple providers, so you can make cost-effective decisions when planning and maintaining your multi-cloud strategy.

IT automation: vRealize automates the delivery of production-ready infrastructure across multi-cloud environments, reducing the time it takes to push services live.

Improved agility: Accelerate application provisioning and delivery by giving developers the freedom to use the tools that make them most productive.

Better control: Deliver the right level of control to your IT teams and embed governance-based policies into IT services to ensure compliance, performance and financial outcomes.

Infrastructure planning and management: Continuously evaluate the cost of running virtual machines in your data centers versus private and public clouds, helping you make the most cost-effective business decisions.

You can choose from three editions of vRealize Suite that offer different functionality at various price tiers — standard, advanced and enterprise. vRealize Suite also comes with other VMware product suites, including vSphere and vCloud Suite.

How to Use VMware to Achieve a Multi-Cloud Strategy

VMware gives your business the tools to achieve better visibility, agility and cost savings in your multi-cloud environment. But having the right technical skills on your IT team is critical for integrating VMware products with your existing infrastructure.

Instructor-led training is one of the best ways to bring your IT team up-to-speed with VMware cloud products and best practices. System administrators, system integrators, cloud administrators and other IT employees working on your cloud infrastructure can benefit from expert-led VMware training.

The VCP7-CMA Certification prepares you to install, configure and administer a VMware vRealize environment.

This certification proves you have the expertise to simplify and standardize complex activities in a multi-cloud environment, increasing your credibility and value within the organization.

Recommended Certification Training:

At least one of the training courses mentioned above

Foundational experience with vSphere and vRealize

Learn New VMware Skills Today

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers comprehensive training courses for every VMware product, including vRealize Suite, vSphere and vCloud.

Whether you’re looking to learn the basics of VMware or implement an advanced multi-cloud strategy, VMware training from New Horizons helps organizations and individuals master the complex cloud skills they need to succeed.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40176013/title/The-importance-of-a-strong-network-for-your-businessThe importance of a strong network for your businessWed, 13 Jun 2018 13:04:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40176013/title/The-importance-of-a-strong-network-for-your-business
What are the most important criteria you consider when making a big purchase? Price is probably in the mix – whether you're buying something for your home or evaluating different networking vendors for new IT infrastructure, there's often an impetus to look for a bargain.

This instinct may lead you to consider less prominent sellers and brands, or even to overhaul your company's operations, as many organizations have when pursuing software-defined networking (SDN). In the latter case, major savings are possible by replacing proprietary network equipment with off-the-shelf alternatives compatible with SDN controllers, which supply the real decision-making intelligence.

Making sense of cost considerations: How cheap can become very expensive

As the SDN example illustrates, price considerations are often intertwined with other concerns. A Stax survey of 40,000 consumers and corporate end users found that many respondents who reported being sensitive to price were also attuned to product quality and durability. Moreover, organizations also routinely factored in whether a purchase would:

Disrupt existing workflows.

Necessitate additional trainings.

Need extensive technical support.

Overall, determining the true cost of something as complex as an IT network architecture requires looking beyond the price tag. Subpar quality takes a toll of its own, while superior reliability - even if it costs more upfront - can reduce expenses over the long term by minimizing downtime an extending the product life cycle. Choosing something based on price alone can backfire, especially if it supports mission-critical applications like VoIP and video conferencing for your business.

Networking infrastructure should be selected for quality instead of price.

Why it pays not to skimp on IT network infrastructure

Undoubtedly, there are products and services that, if possible, really should be purchased for the lowest possible price. Generic prescription drugs come to mind, since they're the exact same formulations as brand names. However, IT network infrastructures don't fit this profile and require more nuanced evaluation.

According to ITIC, just one hour of downtime costs more than $300,000 for 81 percent of enterprises. Even short of an actual outage, unreliable networking equipment can hurt your business by taking too long to transport critical traffic between sites and degrading the end user experience of performance-sensitive applications.

To hedge against these risks, many SMBs and enterprises have invested in IT network infrastructure such as software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs) and Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA). Let's take a look at how each of these solutions helps suppor a strong network.

SD-WAN

An SD-WAN features a software layer that constantly tracks network quality metrics such as jitter, latency and packet loss and adjusts WAN routing accordingly. It can adjust to changing end user demand and avoid the congestion that frequently affects traditional MPLS WANs.

Cisco DNA

Cisco DNA is optimized for security and performance. For example, it can detect threats in encrypted traffic without needing to perform decryption first, plus it integrates with numerous other common networking services and protocols to minimize disruptions as your network evolves.

Neither SD-WANs nor DNA are inexpensive, but they save money elsewhere by protecting critical IT infrastructure from harm. As you build a network for your business, it pays to know the ins and outs of the latest industry technologies, which you can explore at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. Take a look at our Cisco certifications page as well as our upcoming webinars to get started today.

Automating business processes is critical for staying competitive. But 40 percent of employees spend at least a quarter of their workweek on manual, repetitive tasks.

SharePoint workflows equip your IT department with the tools to simplify processes and automate low-value tasks. In this post, we’ll break down the different types of SharePoint workflows you can use to increase productivity for your business.

Benefits of SharePoint Workflows

A SharePoint workflow is a mini-application that takes the labor, guesswork and randomness out of your standard work processes. SharePoint workflows are designed to save you time and effort and bring consistency and efficiency to routine tasks.

Manual processes like collecting signatures and getting plans approved can drag out for days or weeks when they aren’t monitored. And when simple tasks don’t get completed in a timely fashion, productivity suffers.

When you use SharePoint workflows, all of the checking, tracking and reminding is done automatically. Workflows can manage and track human tasks involved with processes like project approval or document review, cutting down on time, manual labor and frustration.

Here are some common tasks you could automate with a SharePoint workflow:

Due date reminders or escalation for time-sensitive processes or tasks

Approvals and reviews of any documents or internal items

Assigning tasks and various work types

Reminders for project phases that have little visibility and tracking

Scheduling vacations or requesting time off

Depending on the complexity of your business process, you can use a built-in SharePoint workflow template or create your own from the ground up.

Built-In SharePoint Workflows

SharePoint includes five pre-programmed workflow types that address common business scenarios.

Approval Workflows

Approval workflows route a document or item to one or more people for approval. They allow you to assign review tasks, track their progress and send reminders and notifications.

Let’s say your sales team needs to send a proposal to a new client. After the sales associate prepares the document, it needs to go to the project team, sales manager and director for approval. Approval workflows automate the approval chain so you don’t have to manually track the process.

This workflow streamlines your approval process to avoid hold-ups and prevent important documents from slipping through the cracks.

Collect Feedback

This type of SharePoint workflow routes a document or item to a group of people for feedback. It consolidates all the feedback from participants and sends it back to the person who initiated the workflow. It also provides a record of the review process for future use.

Collect Signatures

Manually transferring documents from person to person can be confusing and time-consuming. This workflow automatically routes a Microsoft Office document or form created in Word, Excel or InfoPath to one or more people to collect their digital signatures.

Publishing Approval

Similar to the examples above, this workflow automates the routing of content to subject matter experts and stakeholders for review and approval. But the publishing approval workflow is unique because it’s designed specifically for publishing sites with tightly controlled publishing and editing access.

Three-State Workflows

This workflow is used to manage business processes that require organizations to track a high volume of issues or items, such as customer support issues, sales leads or project tasks.

For example, you could build a project task workflow that tracks tasks in three states: active, ready for review and complete.

Custom SharePoint Workflows

Do you have a business need that can’t be met by SharePoint’s pre-programmed workflows?

SharePoint’s templates are ideal for simple scenarios, but they can’t accommodate significant customizations. Custom workflows let you create mini-programs within SharePoint and tailor them to your unique business process needs.

The possibilities with custom workflows are endless. But if you’re looking to extract the greatest ROI of time and money from process automation, start with these workflows:

Help desk ticket management

Inventory tracking

Sales lead pipeline review

Compliance support

Meeting planning and management

Policy review and approval

SharePoint Designer is a flexible HTML editor used for creating and editing SharePoint workflows, sites and web pages. It lets you build custom workflows without having to write a single line of code.

Using SharePoint Designer, you can define custom rules that associate conditions and actions with items in your SharePoint lists and libraries. Changes to these items trigger actions in the workflow.

Want to learn how to create and administer SharePoint workflows today? Here are some good training courses to help you get started:

Learn SharePoint With Expert-Led Training

SharePoint workflows can boost your organization’s productivity, cut out inefficiencies and leverage automation to avoid repetitive tasks. And having the technical skills to recognize process gaps and design efficient SharePoint workflows is the key to a successful implementation.

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers comprehensive SharePoint training for every skill level and business need. Professional SharePoint training will equip you with the skills and confidence to build SharePoint workflows and websites for any business.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175477/title/Do-you-have-the-transferable-skills-you-need-for-IT-career-advancement?Do you have the transferable skills you need for IT career advancement?Tue, 29 May 2018 18:07:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175477/title/Do-you-have-the-transferable-skills-you-need-for-IT-career-advancement?
It's common for today's professionals to change jobs multiple times throughout their careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the average job tenure in 2016 was only 4.2 years, which was down from 4.6 years in 2014.

There are many reasons to switch jobs, from the promise of a more generous compensation package to the need to find a different position after relocating. In fields such as IT, the positive cybersecurity job outlook in particular has made it relatively easy for skilled and experienced candidates to move between jobs, as long as they can prove their competency.

Successful career advancement in a job-hopping world requires transferable skills. So how do you know, as an IT professional, if you have these skills? There are a few tell-tale signs that can reveal whether you possess them and if you should pursue additional courses and certifications to develop them. Here's what to look for :

Standardized certifications and knowledge of specific tools

When scanning job postings or speaking with hiring managers about IT positions, you'll probably notice demands for expertise in particular languages (e.g., JavaScript, C, etc.) or platforms (like Node.js or Docker). If you've already worked with these specific tools, then you can likely transfer your experience to a new job.

Another way to signal that you have sufficient knowledge in the field is by having relevant certifications. Credentials for everything form Office 365 and Azure to ITIL and general cybersecurity are available at New Horizons Computer Learning Center and recognized by numerous employers worldwide.

Experience with DevOps can help in coordinating with other departments around an organization.

Demonstrable improvements in security processes or other technical workflows

Career advancement for cybersecurity professionals is much more realistic when they can point to concrete improvements they've made in strengthening IT environments against threats. Experience with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework is a good start.

For example, security analysts looking to take the next step in their careers might discuss how they aligned the implementation of specific software solutions with the five major principles of the NIST cybersecurity guidance. These efforts could be valuable case studies for current and future employers to evaluate when offering promotions and extending job offers, respectively.

Experience within a collaborative environment

Movements such as DevOps have reshaped the IT sector by emphasizing the value of collaboration and the elimination of organizational silos. Employees who have worked within DevOps cultures have valuable experience in collaborating with peers around the organization toward the common goal of more streamlined, lower-risk development cycles; they are proven team players with technical skills, to boot.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175472/title/Understanding-and-adopting-the-NIST-Cybersecurity-FrameworkUnderstanding and adopting the NIST Cybersecurity FrameworkTue, 29 May 2018 17:14:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175472/title/Understanding-and-adopting-the-NIST-Cybersecurity-Framework
In 2013, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) formulated a set of principles known colloquially known as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. There are five main practices emphasized throughout this documentation, which has become a popular frame of reference for both the public and private sectors:

Identify: Can the organization understand possible risks to its data, governance processes and IT systems?

Protect: Are measures such as access controls and adequate training programs in place to defend against common threats?

Detect: Is it easy to flag anomalies and unusual events via solutions such as continuous monitoring software?

Respond: What procedures are in place for analyzing, mitigating and communicating about a security event?

Recover: How resilient are the organization's operations and what could be done to the improve them?

With this broad NIST cybersecurity guidance in mind, what can security teams do to ensure the implementation of a compatible program? A multi-step process is necessary, starting with an understanding of what risks are most relevant to their organizations.

Why the current threat landscape makes the NIST framework useful

Threats to an organization's infrastructure and assets are rapidly evolving. For example, ransomware had a big year in 2017, with variants such as WannaCry and NotPetya holding thousands of systems worldwide hostage. Looking ahead, ransomware could become a bigger danger to mission-critical systems for electricity and healthcare delivery, as well as to the cloud computing services that now underpin countless applications.

Guarding against it will require careful attention to how backup and disaster recovery strategies are being coordinated with traditional security measures such as firewalls and antivirus software. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework can help here, by ensuring organizations identify their specific vulnerabilities to ransomware attacks, establish standardized processes across multiple departments and deploy the appropriate technical solutions and skilled personnel.

The roles of continuous monitoring tools and cyber security analysts in NIST implementation

Continuous monitoring solutions are the eyes and ears of modern network security. They automatically flag unusual events, aggregate logs from multiple systems and forward all of this information to skilled analysts for further review, if necessary.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175465/title/3-ways-to-make-your-job-searching-strategy-more-effective3 ways to make your job searching strategy more effectiveTue, 29 May 2018 16:04:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175465/title/3-ways-to-make-your-job-searching-strategy-more-effective
Searching for IT positions, even with the positive cybersecurity job outlook and generally high demand for technical talent at the moment, can seem daunting. You might be concerned about having to demonstrate technical competence in addition to navigating the traditional obstacles of the job search, including standing out from a possibly large pool of initial applicants and answering tough interview questions.

The good news is that the job search process doesn't have to be like that. It's possible to get much better results without all of the hassles usually associated with job hunting.

Take a different approach to your job searching strategy

The simplest solution to the complex problem of landing an IT job? Spending less time going through the application motions and more time trying to connect with a hiring manager. The vast majority of jobs – more than 70 percent – are filled internally or by referrals according to a Jobvite survey. That means there's only a small window for external candidates to break through.

Accordingly, any job searching strategy should have hiring manager outreach as one of its pillars. What else should job seekers do to maximize their chances? Read on for some useful tips on reaching hiring managers, along with several other key components of a successful IT job search strategy:

1. Skipping the inbox and going directly to the hiring manager

When you hear the words "job posting," you might think of an online board filled with positions listing numerous requirements and asking for multiple items like cover letters, references and work samples. In truth, these jobs account for just a sliver of all positions needing to be filled.

In contrast to such open jobs, there are hidden jobs that aren't advertised in any way. Employers might take this route to minimize expenses and reduce the number of applicants. Actually finding these positions account for most of the challenge in a job search strategy.

It requires adept use of both traditional networking channels and newer ones like LinkedIn, in order to reach the right people. If you have a target employer and know who is or might be the hiring manager for a position, try reaching out to them directly.

LinkedIn can make a big difference in the job search.

2. Using LinkedIn well

LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for any job searching strategy if used correctly. It can provide many of the benefits of old-fashioned networking at much greater convenience.

To get the most out of the social network, consider posting blog articles directly to your profile and also sprucing it up with media such as links to personal sites and copies of presentations. Personalized messages in connection requests can also be beneficial in moving to the front of the line and finding hidden jobs.

3. Creating an effective elevator pitch

The elevator pitch is a staple of job search strategies, but it's not always easy to put one together. You have to condense a sometimes-complicated message into a mini speech that can be delivered on a call or in an in-person interview.

Using analogies can help, as can framing the employer's need as a problem you are especially well-equipped to solve. Most of all, practice is essential in refining your delivery so that you can confidently answer common interview questions like "tell me about yourself."

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175411/title/Can-DevOps-tools-support-sustainable-change-management-processes?Can DevOps tools support sustainable change management processes?Fri, 25 May 2018 12:22:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40175411/title/Can-DevOps-tools-support-sustainable-change-management-processes?
From afar, DevOps and change management processes might seem like oil and water. Whereas DevOps is the commitment to shorte, streamlined development cycles with more frequent commits than waterfall methodology, change management is the attempt to understand why every contribution is made and ensure it's aligned with organizational goals. DevOps prioritizes fast-paced efficiency, backed by automation, while change management emphasizes control and risk mitigation.

The speed of DevOps versus the control of change management

Let's use another simile to illustrate why these two principles, in theory, might clash:

Imagine the entire software development lifecycle as a highway. The speed at which any "passenger" (project change) on it can travel will depend on the productivity of its programmer, along with the development methodology in place and the resulting time required for submissions to be reviewed, approved and deployed.

DevOps is like a Tesla electric sedan on this open road – capable of accelerating very quickly and sustaining its high speeds, with automation software to ensure an overall smooth journey. It will carry the "passengers" to the destination quickly while avoiding some of the complications associated with traditional approaches, to boot.

Change management is like a series of mechanical pit stops and toll booths along the way. It checks the integrity of the "vehicles" passing through, but at the same time it slows them down. The volume of changes trying to make it through these bottlenecks can result in congestion that slows down the project as a whole.

The good news is that change management processes and DevOps automation don't necessarily have to be at loggerheads. Despite its occasional reputation as a freewheeling approach to development and operations, DevOps in reality is often a relatively low risk methodology. It supports sustainable organizational change management, just of a different kind than is traditionally implemented.

Change management within DevOps: A look under the hood

In the past, change management processes, technologies and documentation procedures were all geared toward the big, infrequent changes of Waterfall-driven development.The associated ITIL practices forced teams to work out key operational dependencies and risks early on, so as to steer clear of issues once their changes were greenlit.

Organizational change management under the the Waterfall methodology has the veneer of safety, largely because of the infrequency of the changes, but there is significant risk involved. A big change gone wrong can set back a company's software projects by weeks or even months.

In comparison, the smaller, iterative changes of DevOps are less risky. They can be woven into a new approach to change management, supported by techniques such as:

Process automation

The most popular DevOps tools, from GitHub for version control to Docker for containerization, are built to streamline common workflows. Their designs can also improve change management, by making processes more consistent and auditable. Instead of relying on manual workflows spanning multiple siloed departments, teams can work together using highly automated DevOps tools, with operations that are easy to review.

Canary testing

This is the DevOps version of the canary in the coal mine. A change can be instituted at just one node within the network, to evaluate its efficacy and safety, before rolling it out to the rest of the environment. If something is amiss, its impact is limited, and corrective action can be taken with minimal overhead.

"Dark" changes

A change that is deployed "dark" is turned off by default. Accordingly, it must be explicitly enabled by users who are aware of its existence. This setup reduces risk to the environment as a whole and enables limited-scope testing of new features and updates to see if they might be suitable for widespread deployment.

These techniques and others enable DevOps tools to support a new approach organizational change management better aligned with rapid release schedules than its predecessors. To learn more about DevOps and change management, be sure to take a look at our ITIL certification.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/36/title/Ethical-Hacker-Training:-How-to-Succeed-in-the-Next-Frontier-of-ITEthical Hacker Training: How to Succeed in the Next Frontier of ITWed, 23 May 2018 12:41:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/36/title/Ethical-Hacker-Training:-How-to-Succeed-in-the-Next-Frontier-of-IT

Rising cybercrime has transformed the IT industry and its security needs.

How are businesses responding? By trying to beat hackers at their own game.

Ethical hacking is the newest frontier of IT security. For IT professionals, it’s an exciting, lucrative and challenging career path. For organizations, hiring ethical hackers is an investment in data loss prevention and customer trust.

So, what can you expect with ethical hacking? And how can you get started on this career trajectory?

What Is an Ethical Hacker?

Also known as white hat hackers, ethical hackers break into computer networks to test and evaluate their security. Ethical hackers have no malicious or criminal intent. Their goal is to improve a company’s online defense.

Ethical hackers have been around since the first computers, gaining traction in IT, security and government. The United States Air Force used ethical hackers to evaluate its operating systems and discovered 55 vulnerabilities.

Silicon Valley has also invested heavily in ethical hacking. Google, Facebook, Microsoft and PayPal have all used white hat hackers to find and fix holes in their systems and products.

What Do Ethical Hackers Do?

Ethical hackers look for weaknesses in IT systems. Using the same knowledge and tools as criminal hackers, ethical hackers go deep inside banks, hospitals, utilities and the networks of major companies. They use common exploits, vulnerabilities and countermeasures to identify weak spots and help organizations improve their security.

They might hack into security cameras and observe employees to get their login information. Or, they’ll test security protocols, following employees into secure server rooms or trying to con them into releasing their credentials. They might write a piece of code to exploit network flaws or break into a system at 2 a.m. when security is at its lowest.

It’s not a free-for-all — ethical hacking requires tedious planning and communication and getting specific permission to perform the “attacks.” Ethical hackers are required to research, document and review methods and findings in detail with management and IT teams.

An ethical hacker may spend just as much time writing reports as they do hacking networks. They assist with a range of follow-up tasks including:

Improving disaster protocol and recovery methods

Recommending how to mitigate vulnerabilities

Working with developers to advise on security needs and requirements

Updating security policies and procedures

Training employees to improve the company’s security program

How to Become an Ethical Hacker

The ballooning number of security threats has turned ethical hacking into a booming industry. Today, there are more than 150,000 ethical hackers, according to the International Council of Ecommerce Consultants (EC-Council). And the numbers are only growing.

The National Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the demand for information security analysts (which include ethical hackers) is expected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the national average for all occupations. And the average salary for certified ethical hackers ranges from $75,000 to more $111,000.

Ethical hacking roles have emerged out of necessity, and job titles have evolved as well. Information security analysts, security engineers, penetration testers and security consultants may all utilize ethical hacking skills depending on the organization and role.

Ethical Hacker Training

Ethical hackers not only need a comprehensive IT background, but also the skills to apply their knowledge in unique, disruptive ways. Because they employ many of the same techniques attackers use to breach networks, ethical hackers must have impeccable problem-solving skills, excellent judgment and the ability to stay cool under pressure.

Education and Background

Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or information security in addition to training can help IT professionals build a foundation for an ethical hacking career. A military background is also a plus for candidates interested in government or high-security clearance positions.

IT professionals interested in ethical hacking should start with the basics, such as a CompTIA A+ certification or tech support position. Next, look to move into a network or administrator role, focusing on information security and penetration testing skills.

Ethical hackers must also have a comprehensive understanding of IT skills and systems including:

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is a midlevel, vendor-neutral certification that helps IT professionals understand security from the mindset of a hacker.

To qualify for the CEH, candidates need a few years of security-related experience and an understanding of penetrating testing, footprinting, reconnaissance and social engineering.

The program teaches common exploits, vulnerabilities and countermeasures. The CEH covers malware, foot printing and reconnaissance, social engineers, session hijacking and system hacking. Participants also learn how to hijack web servers and applications, scan and sniff networks, crack wireless encryptions, evade IDSs, firewalls and honeypots, and IoT hacking.

Certified Ethical Hacker Training From New Horizons

Whether you’re looking to move into a new role or prepare IT staff to ward off digital threats, ethical hacker training equips IT professionals with real-world skills to succeed in the information security sector.

Cloud-first applications and services are rapidly becoming the norm for businesses of all sizes. More enterprises are abandoning traditional data centers in favor of more agile, productive cloud-based infrastructures. As a result, the demand for virtualization skills is growing faster than ever.

Whether you’re looking to begin or advance your career in virtualization, having virtualization courses on your résumé will expand your job opportunities and boost your salary potential. In this blog, we’ll discuss the critical virtualization courses and certifications employers want to see, including:

VMware

Citrix

Microsoft

Cisco

Virtualization is a must-have skill set for IT professionals who work with networks, IT infrastructure and architecture.

Becoming a virtualization expert is a lucrative career choice. According to Forbes, IT professionals with virtualization and cloud computing certifications under their belts earn an average salary of $112,995 per year.

The IT skills gap is also growing fast. The growth of IT jobs continues to outpace the number of IT professionals available to fill them, putting cloud and virtualization capabilities in high demand.

According to CompTIA’s 2018 IT Industry Trend Analysis, four in 10 IT firms report having job openings and actively recruiting candidates for technical positions.

These IT positions in particular will benefit from virtualization training courses:

System administrators

System engineers

System integrators

Infrastructure architects

Cloud and virtualization product managers

Systems analysts

Software engineers

Having proven virtualization skills on your résumé shows employers you can responsibly implement and manage critical virtualization technologies that help achieve business goals.

If you want to open the door to high-paying opportunities in the virtualization and cloud computing field, these are the top virtualization courses you should take.

Citrix Training Courses

Citrix provides mobile workspace solutions that empower businesses to connect and work together in real time. They offer server, application and desktop virtualization services for more than 400,000 organizations worldwide. 98 percent of companies on the Fortune 500 list rely on Citrix technologies.

Validate your Citrix training with a certification. Citrix offers certifications at the associate, professional and expert level. Certifications are valid for three years and must be renewed individually.

Citrix Certified Professional – Virtualization (CCP-V)

After you earn the CCA-V, you can take your education a step further by obtaining the professional-level certification. The CCP-V was ranked one of the top-paying IT certifications for 2018. Professionals with this certification take home an average salary of $102,353.

The CCP-V certifies that you can deploy applications and virtual desktops using a variety of Citrix technologies, including Virtual Apps and Desktops.

Microsoft Cloud Training Courses

Many modern businesses rely on some combination of Microsoft products in their infrastructure. And Microsoft technologies like Azure and Windows Server continue to dominate the cloud and virtualization space.

Start with these Microsoft courses to learn valuable virtualization skills:

This certification proves you have the skills needed to run an efficient and modern data center. It endorses your expertise in cloud technology, system management, virtualization, storage and networking.

Cisco Training Courses

Cisco’s Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center platform for virtualization. Many Cisco solutions also converge with Citrix and VMware virtualization solutions. Gaining experience with multiple virtualization services will help you work across technologies with ease.

These Cisco-approved virtualization courses will familiarize you with important network, server and desktop virtualization technologies:

Advance Your Career with New Horizons Virtualization Courses

There’s no denying the value of cloud-based computing in the IT world. Virtualization touches nearly every aspect of IT and delivers significant cost savings, agility and flexibility to businesses.

According to CompTIA, one of the top five factors contributing to a more challenging hiring landscape is finding workers with the right expertise in emerging tech fields. And the best way to gain those skills fast is through training.

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers comprehensive virtualization courses for VMware, Citrix, Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco and more.

Whether you’re looking to boost your earning potential at your current job or enter a new career, professional virtualization training will equip you with the highly sought-after skills you need to succeed.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40174293/title/Navigating-tricky-interview-questions-and-unique-resume-situationsNavigating tricky interview questions and unique resume situationsTue, 24 Apr 2018 12:16:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40174293/title/Navigating-tricky-interview-questions-and-unique-resume-situations
The interview process is the most stressful aspect of the job hunt for most people in any industry. If you often face stage fright when coming up with good answers or thinking on your feet, an upcoming job interview is nerve-wracking to say the least. With the right preparation and an ability to channel anxiety into positive energy, though, job interviews do not need to be quite so scary.

No matter your exact situation, preparation is the best chance anyone has against a poor performance during an interview. Doing research on the company and position you are interviewing for is essential, as is a review of your own personal achievements and a kind of "elevator pitch" to put your professional past in context. The ways you go about this preparation are also key: No interviewer will be impressed by a candidate that trots out cliché responses to every question.

How to prepare for tricky interview questions

So much of the success - or failure - of any single job interview hinges on the subject's responses to tough questions. But sometimes, the hardest questions in practice seem simple on the surface. According to a career counselor who spoke with Monster.com, a few of the most difficult recurring interview questions include:

"What is your biggest weakness?"

"Why should I hire you?"

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

To prepare for these and other tough questions, job candidates are advised to devise answers ahead of time. They should also remember that prompts like these are used to screen out the most underqualified candidates. Above all, interview subjects should remember to focus on their strengths, even if they are framed as faults. For example, you might confess that your "biggest weakness" is your eagerness to be too accommodating to requests from your colleagues. In this case, you should admit your fault but pitch it as something you are working to improve. In any case, this is not a weakness that would be considered a deal-breaker to employers.

Having a firm understanding of your strengths is a huge part of crafting excellent responses to these hard questions. According to a guide from The Wall Street Journal, executive coaches often advise clients to write down a list of their biggest professional accomplishments, along with the skills used to achieve them. Doing this in the hours before a job interview can help restore your focus and visualize your ideal performance when the time comes.

Handling questions about employment gaps

Another common source of anxiety in the interview process involves explaining your past experience in the most positive light possible. This can be particularly hard for anyone who has "gaps" in their resume, or a long period of time where the person was not employed or in school.

First of all, know that this is not an uncommon phenomenon. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 22 percent of adults in the U.S. between 1979 and 2009 experienced at least one period of long-term unemployment - defined as 27 consecutive weeks or more without a job - during their working lives. Many more - perhaps as many as 90 percent of U.S. adults - are thought to have experienced unemployment at some point for much shorter periods.

The most effective tip to ensure success in any job interview involves preparation.

Either way, if the question of a gap comes up in a job interview, the best response is an honest one. Without going into excruciating detail, explain what caused the gap in employment, but always look to frame it positively. It's not uncommon for people to leave a job due to burnout or to focus more energy on personal matters, like caring for a family. Even if you were fired from your last job, it is usually ideal to be upfront about that fact.

In any case, an employment gap should be explained as an opportunity for personal growth. Discuss what you learned in your time away from work and how you hope to apply it in your next role. Keep the focus on ways in which you remained engaged in your profession or industry despite unemployment, whether it was through formal classes or just reading the latest news headlines.

Just as with any other difficult interview question, the key theme to remember in the case of a resume gap question is positivity. An honest interviewer should understand that life sometimes gets in the way of career aspirations, but they still need help from the candidate when it comes to turning that into a strength.

Keep these answers and other possibilities in the back of your mind as you focus on preparing for your next job interview. These tactics will allow you to visualize your ideal version of success and the path forward that helps you reach that point.

What Makes an Effective Employee Training Program?

Successful employee training and development programs go beyond the standard new hire orientation. They aren’t sporadic courses that employees occasionally take as needed. It’s taking a strategic, organized, systematic approach to training that aligns individual growth with business goals.

According to LinkedIn’s 2017 Workplace Learning Report, the primary objectives of training are the following:

Develop managers and leaders

Help employees develop technical skills

Train all employees globally in one cohesive way

Support career development for employees

The benefits of continued education compound with time. It’s through long-term employee training and development programs that companies reap the most significant return.

Benefits of Employee Training and Development

Training employees is a win-win for both employees and the organizations they work for. Here are a few benefits of employee training and development.

Boost Employee Retention

Recruiting and onboarding talent takes significant time and money. Losing employees costs even more. The cost of employee turnover (hiring, onboarding, training, ramp up time, etc.) ranges from tens of thousands to double their salary — and that figure increases depending on experience and seniority.

Introducing an employee training and development program helps you cultivate, retain and attract top talent, reducing turnover and hiring costs. When team members feel your company is investing in their careers, they are more likely to stay.

Develop a Strong Leadership Pipeline

Training and developing talent also touches senior leadership.

Effective leadership is a major concern for organizations. In the 2016 Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report, 89 percent of executives rated the need to strengthen, re-engineer and improve organizational leadership as an important priority (and more than half said their organizations weren’t ready to meet current leadership needs).

Training helps grow employees from within and develop strong future leaders who are invested in the company. It nurtures succession pipelines so that companies can cultivate and promote exceptional talent from within the organization.

Increase Productivity

Learning new technology and skills sparks innovation and new ideas. Although spending varies by industry, across the board, high-performing companies spend more on training. Training can also help employees perform their current jobs more efficiently, improving productivity and performance.

How to Set up an Employee Training and Development Program

Effective training programs are difficult to implement. You may already have a training program in place but aren’t seeing results. Common training challenges include engaging employees, delivering consistent training, tracking skills and ROI and quantifying training effectiveness.

Here’s how to set up a results-driven employee training and development program in your organization.

Identify Skill Gaps

Most training requests start with a problem. Maybe it’s a process that needs to be improved. Maybe a new manager is struggling to handle conflicts within his/her team.

To implement a successful training and development program, identify organizational and employee training needs. What are the pain points? What’s lacking? What can be improved? What’s the business impact? The best training programs address current processes and issues and also anticipate for future company needs.

Your employees are your best source of information when it comes to identifying training and performance gaps. They have firsthand knowledge of the work, processes, procedures and issues involved and can provide valuable feedback and ideas you hadn’t considered. Seek input from your team before documenting training goals.

Select the Right Training Methods

When rolling out an employee training program, the subject matter isn’t the only item to consider. The training method — the mode in which employees learn — also affects their retention and ability to implement those newfound skills.

Budget, location, the number of students, the type of training and your goals all impact the learning method you choose. Here are some popular training methods to evaluate:

Instructor-led training: Instructor-led training is one of the most popular and effective learning styles.

Online LIVE classes: Instructors hold classes live online in a virtual classroom. Students can easily interact with their instructor and others.

After every training session, make sure employees take time to process what they’ve learned. What are the takeaways? What questions do they have? What are the action items they’re going to implement as a result?

This step ensures employees follow through and apply what they’ve learned.

Make Training a Part of Company Culture

Employee training and development programs go further than offering a few classes — you should weave it into your company culture.

Involve every level in the organization — from coordinators to upper management. Document training opportunities in the employee handbook, make it a company value and encourage employees to speak up when they find new educational opportunities.

Training with New Horizons

The complexity involved in rolling out an employee training program can prevent managers from pursuing learning opportunities for their teams.

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers custom corporate training programs and course to fit every business need, from executive training to advanced technical skills.

Whether you’re looking to add a few classes to your current training repertoire or build a training program from scratch, we can help you find the right courses and training methods to achieve your organizational goals.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40174083/title/Why-you-should-think-of-your-resume-as-your-brand-statementWhy you should think of your resume as your brand statementTue, 17 Apr 2018 18:50:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40174083/title/Why-you-should-think-of-your-resume-as-your-brand-statement
Your resume is a crucial document, making a pivotal first impression on potential employers. They all include details about a job applicant's education, experience and skills, but making yours stand out in a crowded field could be a big step toward landing a great job. Think of the resume as a statement of your personal and professional brand, defining what makes you exceptional and an ideal fit for the position you want.

Personal branding is all about presenting yourself in the best possible light and showing potential employers what you have to offer. Treat your resume as a brief summary of your brand with a clear and direct message. By putting forth a consistent image of yourself, you may discover opportunities to keep building up that brand over the course of a successful career.

Make a statement

"Branding statements are succinct introductions to your professional identity."

Today, many resumes include branding statements. These are succinct introductions to your professional identity that appear between your contact information and work experience. The branding statement should be 15 words or fewer, boiling down precisely what you want a hiring manager to take away from examining your resume.

Develop a strong message by thinking about your most impressive accomplishments and in-demand skills. Include a few powerful adjectives that convey your greatest strengths. Customize your statement to suit each job that you apply for, taking into account an organization's industry, objectives and culture.

Looks matter

The appearance of your resume makes a big difference in how effectively you capture the reader's interest and get across your central message. Strive to make this document eye-catching and intriguing, but also easy to skim through. You don't want hiring managers to have any difficulty assessing your level of education or major skills.

By maintaining a consistent look across all your documents, you build up a sense of your identity. Match up fonts, colors and textures between your resume, cover letter, personal website, business cards and any other professional materials. With a specific set of visual identifiers, your personal brand becomes more distinctive and memorable, sticking out among the other people applying for the same role.

Promote your accomplishments

When you list your past positions, you give short explanations of the duties you fulfilled and skills you used. However, you have to go further if you want to present a strong brand, showing how you've taken initiative and exhibited qualities like leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving. Concentrate on examples from your background where you spearheaded a new initiative or worked on an innovative project.

Even small changes to how you handled particular operations or workflows can help to enhance your brand. Highlight the experiences from your past that provide evidence to support the identity you present in the branding statement. Be sure to choose vivid, active verbs when laying out how you helped to increase efficiency in a department's processes, achieved a vital benchmark for performance or made your workplace a more hospitable and productive space.

Your resume can be a powerful tool in creating a consistent professional brand.

Focus on continuing professional development

One of the most effective ways to make your brand more appealing is through education and an array of up-to-date certifications. By continuing to learn more about the technology and strategies in your area of expertise, you show that you are truly engaged in the latest developments and thinking about how you can apply your skills to new challenges.

Expanding on your leadership skills is another important area for making your professional brand stand out. You lay the groundwork for advancing in your career when your resume shows potential employers that you are committed to becoming a more effective organizer and persuasive speaker. Taking classes in relevant professional areas adds new dimensions to your identity and could encourage hiring managers to find out more.

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offer a wide variety of classes that help professionals to take their skills to the next level and create professional brands that grab the attention of employers. In courses from the Center for Leadership and Professional Development, students learn to put their best foot forward from when they submit an application, through landing the job and taking on a management position. Participate in a free webinar to find out more about how to draft a great resume that introduces readers to your personal brand.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40174023/title/More-than-90-percent-of-IT-employers-use-LinkedIn-to-find-candidates:-How's-your-profile-looking?More than 90 percent of IT employers use LinkedIn to find candidates: How's your profile looking?Mon, 16 Apr 2018 15:37:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40174023/title/More-than-90-percent-of-IT-employers-use-LinkedIn-to-find-candidates:-How's-your-profile-looking?
According to Pew Research Center, 69 percent of U.S. adults had profiles on at least one social media site as of January 2018. The widespread adoption of social media has made a tremendous impact on how organizations operate on a daily basis. Through online platforms, businesses communicate with the public, show off their workplace cultures and search for new workers.

When it comes to making social media a part of professional development, LinkedIn is dominant, with Pew's data showing that 50 percent of Americans with a college education use the site. That means information technology professionals face a crowded field when they strive to capture the attention of hiring managers, human resources specialists or recruiters. If you want to advance in your IT career, it's important to take a look at your current online presence and consider what you can do to make yourself a more attractive candidate.

Putting your best foot forward on LinkedIn

"Massive opportunities continue to emerge in technology fields."

Massive opportunities continue to emerge in technology fields. In April 2018, the LinkedIn Workforce report found that the hiring rate in hardware was up by more than 10 percent over the same month in 2017, and software hiring was up by 14.1 percent. Jobseekers with in-demand skills and experience for roles in technology will find numerous positions out there and a plenty of room to grow as professionals.

Of course, to land the IT job you want, you first need to present yourself as a qualified expert with the capabilities to help an organization move toward its goals. Your LinkedIn profile can play a big part in making your case, presenting the skills, education and professional experience that make you an exceptional applicant. Read through the descriptions for the kinds of jobs you are most interested in to pick out the keywords that are musts for your profile.

The right qualifications and keywords will make it easier for recruiters to find you, but you should also take the time to make your profile as appealing as possible. Include a photograph that makes you seem both professional and approachable; potential employers are more likely to get in touch with someone who is genuinely smiling at the camera. Add a headline and a summary that briefly lay out who you are and what kind of position you are pursuing.

Avoiding common social media mistakes

Even if your profile points out many aspects of your background that would make you a great hire for an IT department, you may still damage your chances by making a variety of mistakes. For instance, highlighting technical skills is imperative for seeking a tech-related position, but you shouldn't neglect your soft skills. Top companies want people who can lead a team and communicate clearly, so examples of projects where you took charge or professional presentations you gave can be strong arguments in your favor.

Don't simply create your profile and hope that a great opportunity will come looking for you. One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is getting involved in communities of people who share your interests. Contributing to conversations and networking will put you in touch with people who could make a huge difference in your job search.

Many users rarely update their status on LinkedIn, preferring to share their latest thoughts and experiences on more personal social networking sites. However, adding a new status on a regular basis shows that you're actively engaged on the site and in progressing your career. Mention your achievements, share any content you've created for your employer and congratulate others on their latest accomplishments.

Your LinkedIn profile could help you find a new position in IT.

How specialized training makes you a stronger candidate

A sure path to optimizing your LinkedIn presence is taking classes and earning certifications in areas relevant to your career path. IT is a constantly evolving field, and you have to keep your knowledge and abilities up to date. Your LinkedIn profile can reveal the effort you're putting in to stay on top of developments in tools and techniques for network administration, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity.

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offers courses in these crucial areas of knowledge for IT experts. You can also gain an edge on the job market from lessons in strategic leadership and professional development, expanding on the skills you'll need to take on fresh challenges. A thorough understanding of IT service management principles and how to handle growing responsibilities will serve you well as you look for your next role.

An exciting new stage in your career could begin with updating your social media presence. Find out more about making a LinkedIn profile that suits your professional ambitions by participating in a free webinar.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173963/title/Why-the-best-managers-exemplify-Positive-AssertivenessWhy the best managers exemplify Positive AssertivenessFri, 13 Apr 2018 16:36:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173963/title/Why-the-best-managers-exemplify-Positive-Assertiveness
For an organization to grow and thrive, it needs strong leaders who have both a deep understanding of their industry and a broad array of soft skills. A successful manager must be able to keep a team organized, motivated and on track toward fulfilling a company's goals. Professionals who undergo specialized training and seek out opportunities to build on their leadership abilities are more likely to achieve the best outcomes for their assigned projects and individual career goals.

One of the most effective ways for a manager to pull people together for a common purpose is using the techniques called Positive Assertiveness. This approach is all about demanding quality work from the people under your supervision while maintaining a collegial atmosphere. By cultivating a powerful leadership style, professionals can accomplish more with each work day and guide their teams to better long-term results.

Understanding Positive Assertiveness

"Assertiveness is a vital component in your communication style."

Communication skills are essential in the workplace, especially when you're in a leadership role. Being able to explain procedures to workers and describe the needs of your department to executives in both speech and writing can make all the difference in accomplishing your core objectives. Assertiveness is a vital component in your communication style, allowing you to express yourself in a way that convinces your audience and demonstrates why the ideas you have to contribute are important.

Assertive communication is characterized by direct, carefully chosen language. Your interactions should reveal confidence and explicitly establish the responsibilities of everyone in the workplace. That kind of engagement can pay off with a positive atmosphere where any disagreements are resolved right away, avoiding prolonged conflicts.

One common mistake that managers can make is mistaking assertiveness for aggression. Your words to colleagues, subordinates and superiors should always be based in mutual respect, ensuring that others take you seriously while showing that you're interested in their feedback. By clearly stating your expectations and requirements, you are more likely to get your message through to people and have productive conversations.

Forbes featured the findings from a report that looked at the connections between specific qualities and overall effectiveness as a leader. In this study, leaders who rated in the 75th percentile for both assertiveness and judgment had a 71 percent chance of being assessed as good leaders. These results suggest that the way to become an excellent manager is by combining a strategic approach to your tasks with a compelling communication style.

Stepping up your communication

If you're interested in expressing yourself more assertively, there are a number of changes you can start making today. Growing into your role as a leader starts with taking a step back and assessing how you currently interact with others. Practice being more straightforward when discussing your perspective on business problems, and try monitoring your body language in the mirror.

Open up the lines of communication with others in your organizations. Make an effort to connect with individuals at all levels, taking the time to provide others with relevant information or suggestions and listen to what they have to say in return.

In the process, you may find promising chances to collaborate with others and make the most of your respective strengths. Exchanging ideas across different specialties or departments can be a great opportunity to improve how your business functions. Often, powerful initiatives start with an open, respectful conversation.

Reflect on the kind of feedback that you provide to workers under your supervision or your colleagues. Honesty is important, but so is sensitivity: If employees feel they have been treated poorly, they are not likely to continue putting in their best efforts. Be aware of the effect your words have on others and try to make it positive.

Skilled managers express themselves clearly and directly.

The training to enable successful management

If you're ready to take the next steps toward presenting yourself as an effective leader in the workplace, you could benefit from a course in Positive Assertiveness. New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offer classes designed to help professionals improve their communications and take on new challenges in their careers.

The classes cover topics such as selecting the right communication style to suit a variety of situations and achieve optimal results. Students explore how they can improve their listening and ask questions that encourage others to open up. They work on making their body language an asset, exhibiting confidence in their appearance as well as their speech.

With advanced training in leadership and communication, professionals ready themselves to become leaders who drive their organizations forward. Find out more about what you can learn from training in Positive Assertiveness by participating in a free webinar.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/33/title/How-to-Become-an-IT-DirectorHow to Become an IT DirectorWed, 11 Apr 2018 13:50:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/33/title/How-to-Become-an-IT-Director

When pursuing a career in information technology, you might aspire to become an IT director. But where do you start?

Earning the position of IT director goes beyond technical experience. Leading information technology teams requires a unique combination of technical acumen, leadership and communication skills.

The demand for IT leadership is growing fast. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of computer and information systems managers to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, almost twice the average of all occupations.

The need for competent IT directors spells opportunity for IT professionals at every level. Here’s how to become an IT director, including the education, experience, skills and training you’ll need to be successful.

The Evolution of IT

IT departments have drastically changed over the last 30 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, IT departments were completely separate entities, managing massive mainframe computers that supported the business.

The nature of their work meant that IT teams were isolated. They didn’t have much contact with other employees.

Today, it’s radically different. Technology isn’t an addition to the company — it’s the foundation.

The prevalence of the cloud, applications, computers and mobile devices in business has placed IT at the forefront of business growth and strategy. In what were previously isolated roles, IT directors and managers now have a vocal, highly- visible function in organizations.

What Do IT Directors Do?

IT directors oversee IT strategy and information services across all departments in an organization.

The exact role and day-to-day duties of IT directors vary widely depending on the industry, size and needs of the organization.

At a small or medium-size company, the IT director may be the highest information technology position in the organization. In a larger company, IT directors might report to the chief technology officer (CTO) or CEO.

Although the daily responsibilities of IT directions differ, they’re responsible for a range of duties. IT directors oversee daily IT management and operations from routine maintenance to hiring, developing and leading IT teams.

IT directors also ensure that IT strategy aligns with departmental and organizational goals and manage technical projects. They may oversee an upgrade to a new charting system at a hospital, Office 365 migration or SQL server upgrade.

IT directors also plan for the future, researching new products to identify market opportunities in IT and guiding policies, plans and procedures for the acquisition and use of new IT resources.

IT directors can work in a range of job sectors, from finance and healthcare to insurance and manufacturing. Yearly salaries for IT directors range from around $70,000 to $180,000.

How to Become an IT Director

The path to becoming an IT director isn’t always linear. However, career requirements often include these phases:

Obtain a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology.

Develop IT and leadership experience in a variety of IT roles, from entry-level support positions to IT manager. Most IT director positions require 10 years of experience.

Earn your master’s degree. You don’t need to attend directly earning an undergrad, but many IT director positions require a master’s degree in information technology management or a related field.

Expand your education and skill set with IT training and certifications.

IT Director Education

Nearly every IT director position requires a bachelor’s degree, typically in computer science, information technology or a related field. Courses include database management, networking fundamentals, IT management courses and application development.

While a master’s degree can boost your career prospects, it’s not required for every position and industry. IT training and certifications are another great way to supplement your job experience with hands-on training and instruction.

IT Director Experience

After your education, the first step is to develop your technical IT skills. Gaining real-world experience across IT roles can help you become a well-rounded IT director.

IT director roles typically require a minimum 10 years of experience, with five years in advanced or management positions.

Start with entry-level analyst and help-desk roles. Look for opportunities to manage projects and teams. Many positions require experience in a breadth of topics from database administration and architecture to cybersecurity.

IT Director Skills

IT directors straddle the line between technical and executive leadership. They have the technical experience to diagnose risks and manage IT environments and the leadership skills to effectively communicate IT objectives and mitigate conflict.

Beyond technical experience, IT directors need to understand how IT fits into the big picture, including a strong understanding of sophisticated business processes, operational and management systems. They’re not only reactive, supporting IT teams with daily IT tasks and infrastructure management, but also forward-thinking — developing IT strategies to promote business growth.

Here’s an overview of skills required for IT director positions:

Leadership: Strong leadership skills to manage and motivate IT staff.

Problem-solving and analytical skills: As the leader of the IT department, IT directors face complex IT and business development challenges that span multiple departments and teams.

Communication skills: IT directors must bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams and translate technical ideas in terms of business value.

Project management: Prioritize, plan and execute technical projects on time and on budget.

Adaptability: IT changes constantly. IT directors need to be flexible to maintain and introduce functional IT systems that enable productivity.

IT Director Training and Certifications With New Horizons

Becoming an IT director isn’t a clear-cut path. Hospitals have different IT needs and requirements than a financial company. Even within an industry, organizations use different technology, from Microsoft and Amazon Web Services to Cisco or Citrix.

IT certifications and training demonstrate a keen understanding of complex IT technologies. They’re also a great way to build specialized experience on the job. Combined with strong IT management skills, IT training and certifications are a critical stepping stone to becoming an IT director.

From Microsoft technical training to management courses, New Horizons can help build the technical and leadership skills needed to succeed as an IT director. As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date IT management training available. With flexible self-paced or instructor-led training options, you have access to real experts and resources to confidently advance your IT career in no time.

Whether you’re looking to bolster your résumé or equip your staff to manage Exchange, there are many paths to mastering Exchange. In this post, we’ll uncover the best way to learn Microsoft Exchange so you can implement more efficient and productive email and productivity solutions for your business.

Benefits of Learning Microsoft Exchange

Exchange offers cloud-hosted and on-premises email solutions to meet the needs of small businesses and enterprises.

Implementing Exchange can have measurable impacts on productivity and collaboration. Exchange helps organizations:

Collaborate on projects and share information easily

Defend against cyber attacks and eliminate email threats before they reach your network

Centralize emails for easier backup

Enhance data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities

Who Should Learn Microsoft Exchange?

Here are some of the most common IT positions that require Microsoft Exchange knowledge:

Exchange Administrators

In a large company, an Exchange administrator is tasked with enhancing enterprise-wide messaging and collaboration through Exchange. Exchange administrators are in charge of delivering reliable and secure services that support business needs.

Exchange Engineers

An Exchange engineer is responsible for the ongoing support, security and maintenance of a company’s Exchange Server and all associated technologies. Exchange engineers frequently analyze and research an enterprise’s networks and architecture and recommend technical solutions to achieve business goals.

IT Generalists and Help Desk Professionals

Most smaller organizations don’t have the capacity or need for Exchange-specific positions. But if your job involves Windows Server administration, network administration, help desk or system administration, advanced knowledge of Microsoft Exchange is a must.

Tools That Help You Learn Exchange

Exchange is just one tool in your Microsoft toolbox. Microsoft Exchange experts need to be well-versed in a range of Microsoft programs to understand how Exchange fits into the broader IT infrastructure.

Learning these tools will enhance your knowledge of Microsoft Exchange:

For an on premise Exchange solution, Exchange is deployed exclusively through Windows Server. Learning the essentials of Windows Server will help you manage everything from new deployments to troubleshooting.

Office 365 is Microsoft’s suite of productivity applications and services hosted on your desktop and in the cloud. Many businesses’ Office 365 plans include Exchange – so you’ll need to understand how the two integrate.

Azure is a comprehensive collection of cloud services designed to help developers and IT professionals deploy and manage applications including Exchange. Azure supports the broadest selection of operating systems, programming languages, tools, databases and devices.

Skype for Business is one of the most popular enterprise communication platforms. Integrating Skype for Business with Exchange is essential for tasks that enhance productivity – such as syncing calendars, meetings and information about users’ presence.

Outlook is the most common email client that businesses run on an Exchange server. As an Exchange administrator or engineer, your role will involve managing users, troubleshooting and configuring settings in Outlook.

PowerShell allows you to use scripts to automate complex or repetitive administration tasks in Exchange, helping you save time and reduce errors.

Active Directory

Active Directory is critical to your Exchange environment. Exchange relies on Active Directory to automate the management of user data and store and share information with Windows.

Learn Microsoft Exchange Through Training

With all the technical skills required to learn Microsoft Exchange, reading manuals and studying documentation can only get you so far. Robust, hands-on training is the best way to learn Microsoft Exchange.

Training courses also give you an opportunity to learn Microsoft Exchange skills fast. Most accelerated classes take place over several days, preparing you to take your newly acquired skills to market quickly.

When you enroll in a Microsoft Exchange training course, you’ll learn how to:

Manage and maintain on-premises and hosted Exchange servers

Integrate Exchange Server with Microsoft tools including Skype for Business and Office 365

Lead a team of administrators and implement Exchange at an enterprise level

Ready to learn Microsoft Exchange? Here are some recommended courses to get started:

This course teaches you how to administer and support Exchange Server 2016 and maintain and monitor an Exchange Server 2016 deployment.

Who This Course Is Intended For:

IT professionals who want to become an enterprise-level messaging administrator for Exchange Server 2016

IT generalists

Help desk professionals

Prerequisites:

There are no official prerequisites for this course. But you should have at least two years of experience working with related Microsoft tools, including AD DS, Domain Name System (DNS) and Windows Server. You’ll also need working knowledge of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and public key infrastructure (PKI) technologies.

In this course, you will learn how to design and configure advanced components in an Exchange Server 2016 deployment such as advanced security, compliance, site resiliency, archiving and discovery solutions.

Learn Microsoft Exchange From Real-World Professionals

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers comprehensive Microsoft Exchange training for every skill level and business need. Whether you’re in the middle of a complex email server migration or just entering the IT field, professional Microsoft Exchange training will equip you with the skills you need to succeed.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173598/title/Top-IT-hiring-challenges-in-2018Top IT hiring challenges in 2018Wed, 4 Apr 2018 18:42:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173598/title/Top-IT-hiring-challenges-in-2018
Skilled, knowledgeable employees are the lifeblood of any organization. When it comes to information technology departments, it's particularly important to have a staff in place that's prepared to manage a company's needs as they grow and change. With the highly specialized requirements that come with these jobs, human resources personnel and hiring managers often run into difficult situations when trying to find the right people.

If you're interested in pursuing your next career opportunity in this field, it's important to understand the challenges that IT leaders currently face. With the right training and expertise, you could present the solution to some of the most urgent problems at technology-oriented businesses.

1. Anticipating shifting tech demands

"Developments in technology move fast, and so do changes in organizational priorities."

Developments in technology move fast, and so do changes in organizational priorities. When hiring workers and developing leaders, IT departments have to consider not only what abilities are necessary to keep current processes on track but also the advances that lie ahead. A report from Deloitte noted that the effects of such changes are especially apparent in areas like technical platforms, where skills tend to remain desirable for a period lasting between two and 10 years.

There are several areas where the demand for advanced skills is currently mounting. Many organizations want more employees who understand tools for collecting, storing and analyzing big data. At the same time, concerns about cybersecurity are only continuing to grow and many are expecting an explosion in the adoption of Internet-of-Things devices, creating massive opportunities for individuals who specialize in these areas.

Companies strive to manage their long-term needs by finding workers with versatile competencies and the capabilities to adapt over time. By fostering a strong culture around learning new tools and programs, an IT department can remain agile and respond to fresh problems as they emerge. Meanwhile, candidates for IT jobs show their own engagement in the latest technologies and commitment to remaining up to date by taking courses and earning certifications.

2. Providing the flexibility that today's workers prefer

In many workplaces, there's a push toward greater freedom for employees, and IT is no exception. A ManpowerGroup Solutions survey found that schedule flexibility was one of the top three motivations for career decisions among 45 percent of American job candidates. Depending on the workplace and the particular employee, flexibility can include a wide variety of arrangements, such as arriving and leaving at convenient times, the option to work from home, opportunities for extended leave and unlimited paid time off.

Staying open to alternative arrangements is smart for any technology-driven firm that hopes to attract top talent. Many qualified professionals place a high value on maintaining a good work-life balance, in addition to a competitive salary and benefits package and opportunities to grow their skills. IT job applicants and potential employers should always discuss policies for remote work and time off during the interview process to help achieve a good cultural fit.

3. Appealing to passive candidates

Often the job candidates that hiring managers are most interested in are the ones who aren't currently applying for jobs. In a study conducted by Spiceworks, 70 percent of IT professionals said they are satisfied with the jobs they have. That doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't be willing to switch positions for the the right offer, but recruiters have to find people with the right background and catch their attention.

If you're an IT worker interested in hearing from some of these recruiters, you can make yourself highly visible. Your social media presence is a key tool, and it's essential to show off your knowledge and credentials. Endorsements and certifications in the areas that companies are focused on and details about the projects you've worked on in the past could be your ticket to capturing a fantastic chance at career advancement.

IT workers need to keep their skills up to date.

4. Need for quality training in a fast-moving IT landscape

There are a lot of factors that go into matching an IT professional with a great job. However, the most important question will always be whether an individual has the advanced training and experience in the tools and operations that are most important to an organization. A candidate becomes more attractive to employers by developing a robust body of credentials and a documented history of seeking to know more about the newest advancements in database maintenance, cloud technologies, cybersecurity and IT service.

Classes from New Horizons Computer Learning Centers equip IT professionals with the training they need to stay on top of new technologies and take the next steps in their careers. There are certifications available in a huge variety of technologies that businesses rely on for everyday operations and achieving long-term objectives. Studying IT service management in the Center for Leadership and Development prepares students to stay in touch with best practices, manage technology lifecycles and set effective strategies for implementing and maintaining enterprise systems.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173534/title/Azure-improving-its-"alert"-capabilitiesAzure improving its "alert" capabilitiesTue, 3 Apr 2018 14:57:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173534/title/Azure-improving-its-"alert"-capabilities
Microsoft's Azure platform offers organizations a one-stop location to manage IT resources across the cloud, providing oversight of a variety of interconnected systems ranging from analytics to artificial intelligence. As a central hub for IT operations in the cloud, Azure is often used to gather and analyze performance metrics at a given time, especially as companies work to optimize resource availability relative to usage rates and costs. To help businesses better track key performance indicators across complex Azure stacks, Microsoft has released a new alerts function that offers new features and improves overarching capabilities within the system.

"The new unified experience dramatically improves our alert management capabilities," said Sheehan. "As part of our standard client configuration, we deploy and manage a variety of resource monitors to provide comprehensive coverage of a customer environment. These monitors include PaaS Resource Metrics/Logs, Azure Activity Events, and Log Analytics searches. We can now manage all of these monitors and alerts through a single interface and layer standardized action groups across all of them. This new service means we can offer a more consistent approach to our customers while dramatically reducing the management overhead."

The new alerts system represents a major step forward for Azure. Here's a quick look at what it entails:

New features in Azure alertsThe updated alert functionality incorporates a variety of key capabilities, including:

Interface updates: With a better alert interface in place, users can expect a consistent visual and navigation design within the Azure portal, establishing a situation in which it is much easier to manage alerts across sources and create a single destination for alerting.

Log alerts: With the new Azure log alerts feature, organizations can use the log alerts that were previously available in the OMS portal in the Azure portal. This saves you from having to hop back and forth between the two, making it easy to write, generate and receive query-based alerts.

The classic alerts functionality for Azure remains available for free, but organizations that want to ramp up their visibility into Azure operations could find it beneficial to spend on these advanced features. Besides adding these new functions, Microsoft has also updated Azure alerts' overarching performance.

Big-picture changesThe most notable backend update to Azure alerts is probably a significant reduction in latency within the system. Previously, it took Azure approximately 5 minutes to ingest new data between alert cycles. The new system now allows for data delivery in just a minute, with log alerts taking slightly longer, Microsoft explained. Users can also leverage Azure alerts to incorporate multiple metrics into a single rule, triggering a new alert if both conditions are breached for any reasons. This combines with stronger rule creation within the alert platform to allow for the generation of much more nuanced, precise notifications.

All of these benefits come together in an improved notification system that that lets users create action groups to specify the users who will receive different types of alerts.

Getting more from the Azure cloudAlerts empower organizations to gain a clearer understanding of how their clouds are performing at any given time, making it easier to maximize the value of the technology. However, this is only possible if IT teams understand the inner workings of the cloud platform, including new features and longstanding services options. Azure training can help organizations prepare their IT teams to deliver this sort of value, and New Horizons offers a blend of courses that can enable businesses to get a head start on skills development.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173530/title/Cloud-computing-evolution:-What's-to-be-expected-a-year-from-now?Cloud computing evolution: What's to be expected a year from now?Tue, 3 Apr 2018 14:01:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173530/title/Cloud-computing-evolution:-What's-to-be-expected-a-year-from-now?
Cloud computing continues to evolve, and businesses that want to maximize the potential value they obtain from the technology need to stay ahead of ongoing trends and avoid falling behind. Moving into the year ahead, a great deal of technological change is on the horizon. In many cases, these disruptions will end up most evident in the rapid rise of edge computing. Bringing storage and compute resources to the network edges puts information closer to the hands of end users, driving performance gains. As more businesses explore the growing need for such use cases, cloud providers are already expanding their services to embrace such distributed computing models.

Edge computing is rising at the point of convergence between a variety of technologies, creating a powerful use case as organizations work to respond to new technical realities.

An automotive manufacturer has a variety of connected devices, including robots and intelligent tools, scattered throughout its production floor.

The company also tracks usage data and equipment issues over the entire life cycle of a vehicle.

The organization is using all of this data to track every process and component of products across a variety of use cases, creating transparency and visibility that would have been impossible to achieve in the past.

All of these capabilities are only possible because internet of things devices are scattered across a variety of environments, bringing real-time data to backend systems. While PC Magazine didn't get to check out the factory's IT setup, the production floor showcases a simple problem facing many businesses - traditional network systems can't keep up with the pace of data delivery needed between connected devices in today's IoT-enabled world.

The problem is that more connected devices require real-time data than ever before, and mixed reality solutions and AI will only take this issue to another level. Network architectures built around centralized data centers, including traditional cloud setups, can't move information to these devices quickly enough to support operations, the report explained. Edge computing involves moving storage and compute resources into closer proximity to where the work is being done, reducing the burden on the network by decentralizing data.

Edge computing in the cloudIn some cases, edge computing is discussed as an alternative to the cloud, with the thought being that data storage and processing would be handled on end-user devices. However, many businesses are instead rolling out micro-data centers in close proximity to operational hubs, and cloud models are shifting in response. In a Forbes report, industry expert Janakiram MSV explained that cloud edge configurations involve cloud service providers owning and operating small configurations that are designed to support micro-zones: small, highly targeted areas of operations.

"Edge computing is rising quickly in large part because businesses are dependent on real-time data access."

According to Janakiram MSV, cloud edge configurations are beginning to emerge in the marketplace already, and they effectively extend the reach of and decentralize traditional cloud configurations.

Responding to a new cloud realityEdge computing is rising quickly in large part because businesses are dependent on real-time data access in so many areas of operation. Many technologies that rely on pervasive, high-performance network connections are coming together to form digital ecosystems, and edge computing could support the connectivity demands of such setups across diverse work and service locations.

Moving to cloud configurations that diversify data storage and processing can go a long way in alleviating the cost and disruption caused by rolling out new data centers and device strategies across the business. Strategic cloud computing training can empower companies to gain a stronger understanding of how the cloud can apply in edge computing settings and prepare as the trend continues to emerge.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173517/title/What-can-IT-organizations-learn-from-the-Cambridge-Analytica-scandal?What can IT organizations learn from the Cambridge Analytica scandal?Tue, 3 Apr 2018 12:08:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173517/title/What-can-IT-organizations-learn-from-the-Cambridge-Analytica-scandal?
We recently discussed some of the implications of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal in our story "Big data mismanaged: Lessons from Facebook." We unpacked what happened in the incident and highlighted some core takeaways. Now, let's hone in on what the data event really means for IT departments, particularly as businesses face an increasingly complex and highly regulated operational climate.

IT leaders have plenty to consider in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but many of the issues are more philosophical than technical. It is nearly impossible to adequately track data across organizational channels and thus prevent a similar outcome, for example. However, organizations can make cultural and procedural changes to set themselves up for better results. Here are a few possibilities:

Create clear data usage policies internally and for partners

"You can't always control exactly where your data goes and when."

You can't always control exactly where your data goes and when, but you can set formal policies that, to some degree, absolve you of responsibility if one of your partners or employees misuses information. Effective policies alone aren't enough to stop such an incident from happening, but they set a legal and cultural baseline around expectations and best practices. In the Cambridge Analytica situation, Facebook found that new policies enlisted more recently have prevented similar incidents from occurring.

Establish a culture of transparency and responsibilityBlame is never easy to deal with, especially under circumstances when no individual is at fault, but an underlying system - be it technical or procedural - ended up failing. However, finding a way to take responsibility for a negative data incident can help a company save face publicly and move forward in a positive direction. A feature from The Guardian explained that most organizations that have faced a similarly public scandal and owned up to the issue have recovered fairly quickly.

The essential thing to keep in mind, according to the news source, is to be transparent about what is being done in response to a scandal. In many cases, businesses that obfuscate facts around the problem in the first place can leave customers without a clear sense of positive progress in the aftermath of the event. Conversely, taking responsibility for an incident and providing visibility into what's being done in response can build trust.

Perform frequent auditsThis last one is a procedure IT leaders can directly put into their regular operations. A Privacy and Data Security Insight report pointed out that the scandal emerged largely because Facebook trusted a contractual statement of compliance and neglected to fully audit how its data was being used by third parties. Putting the effort in to formally audit yourself and your customers can go a long way in helping you safeguard data and enforce privacy-related agreements.

IT departments may not be able to completely control data that ends up in the hands of third parties, but organizations can minimize the likelihood of any incidents taking place and minimize any damage that could occur. Procedural, cultural and operational changes can go a long way in limiting the potential impact of scandals similar to what happened with Cambridge Analytica.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173489/title/Big-data-mismanaged:-3-lessons-from-FacebookBig data mismanaged: 3 lessons from FacebookMon, 2 Apr 2018 15:14:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173489/title/Big-data-mismanaged:-3-lessons-from-Facebook
Facebook has been getting a great deal of attention lately in the aftermath of a big data scandal that has shaken up the internet. The response has been fervent, with many decrying the social media giant for irresponsible behavior and some even using the event as a catalyst to begin serious discussions about all the potential ills of social media platforms.

The Guardian, for example, advised that, in response to the scandal, people don't delete Facebook, but instead deepen their awareness of how digital platforms work and take a greater ownership of how they share data in light of the digital economy. This isn't to absolve Facebook and similar big businesses, but to point out that data sharing online is so prevalent that simply unplugging won't solve the problem. With these issues in mind, let's explore how businesses can learn from Facebook's mistakes. To begin, here's a look at the scandal.

Analytics systems are powerful, but they're also dangerous.

What happened to FacebookLike many digital businesses, much of Facebook's revenue stems from advertising deals built around user data. Marketing firms of various types will purchase data from Facebook and use it to research demographics, identify trends in consumer behavior and otherwise gain a better understanding of the population. Facebook has long had policies around the types of information that can be used and the ways that information can be used, but the search giant ended up feeding data to an agency that leveraged information in a manner that goes against the social media company's policies and could be considered unethical.

The scandal basically boils down to this: Someone created an app that mined Facebook data, and the search giant banned the app and demanded the individual delete all data pertaining to Facebook users. One company, Cambridge Analytica, used the app to gather data pertaining to 50 million Facebook users. At the time, Facebook did not demand that the firm delete user data because Cambridge Analytica claimed to not have received raw Facebook data and to have deleted related information. The firm also claimed that it wasn't actively using that information.

Ultimately, Cambridge Analytica used the data it obtained to perform highly targeted advertising during the U.S. presidential election in 2016, which some believe had a direct impact on the outcome. Facebook already has policies in place to prevent similar issues from arising, but the problem highlights how dangerous big data can be. Here are three things businesses can learn from the scandal:

1. Maintain end-to-end transparency

"Don't pass information on to partners and expect to be off the hook."

If your company has gathered data, there's a good chance you'll ultimately be held responsible for how that information is used. Don't pass information on to partners and expect to be off the hook. In fact, many regulatory bodies now hold businesses accountable if their partners don't maintain compliance. Create policies and employ technologies to ensure transparency across the entire data life cycle.

2. Consider security and privacy at the start of a projectPart of the reason this scandal occurred is that Facebook's policies and practices weren't initially rigorous enough to account for misuse of data. You can't anticipate every potential malicious practice, but many businesses strive so hard to innovate that they then tack security and privacy policies on after the fact. Create a culture in which safeguarding data is the priority, and you can position yourself to avoid big data problems similar to what happened to Facebook.

3. Establish data archiving and destruction practicesMany organizations run into a situation in which their big data strategies are so focused on taking action based on information that they don't have clear processes for the end of a data's life. Proper archival and destruction can be instrumental in preventing improper use or data theft, and companies trying to establish such practices must consider not only when they'll delete data, but also how they'll sanitize storage devices of trace information that remains after deletion.

Big data can be a security and privacy nightmare, as the recent Facebook scandal shows. Organizations that take a more cautious approach in their analytics programs can establish a basis for strong information protection. Strategic training programs, such as seeking CompTIA security certification, can help IT leaders prepare themselves to handle big data as safely as possible.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173473/title/Hybrid-cloud-connectivity:-A-tool-every-business-can-benefit-fromHybrid cloud connectivity: A tool every business can benefit fromMon, 2 Apr 2018 11:55:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173473/title/Hybrid-cloud-connectivity:-A-tool-every-business-can-benefit-from
Cloud computing and connectivity challenges often go hand in hand. Businesses must respond by ramping up their network functionality, particularly as the hybrid cloud becomes a de facto IT strategy.

Gartner analyst Joe Skorupa told TechTarget that businesses largely ignored the network when they began to move to the cloud. In most cases, organizations tended to be so focused on the security, cost and scalability of the cloud that they ended up not thinking about how the technology will impact their networks. It quickly became commonplace to not even have network managers involved in the cloud migration discussion.

According to TechTarget, the initial connectivity issues associated with the cloud only escalate as businesses expand into hybrid environments. In such setups, the inherent challenges of providing adequate connectivity rise when trying to support data traffic between both local and distant third-party configurations. Latency becomes a major problem, especially as geographic distance leads to heightened performance shortfalls. Two major solutions are emerging to resolve these issues, advance internet connections and direct network links.

Connectivity issues are a major issue in hybrid cloud setups.

Hybrid cloud connectivity optionsGoogle recently announced a new dedicated network system for hybrid clouds, and its service highlights the growing opportunity for organizations trying to eliminate latency and performance problems. Data Center Knowledge reported that Google's solution serves as a dedicated internet service that operates as a go-between for enterprise data centers and the Google Cloud. Todd Traver, vice president for IT optimization and strategy at the Uptime Institute, said that robust networking solutions are increasingly needed as businesses embrace hybrid cloud setups.

"Hybrid cloud computing has become the industry norm, with systems-of-record computing taking place in the enterprise data centers, [disaster recovery] taking place in colocation data centers, platform or Software-as-a-Service being provided by the cloud, and customer-facing applications such as video streaming or virtual reality being provided by edge compute," Traver told the news source.

Direct network connections, including multi-protocol label switching setups, are popular as companies work to improve performance for their hybrid cloud setups, the article explained. Google's new Direct Connect solution builds on this type of functionality by blending interconnects and virtual LAN systems to optimize data transit based on the data and services being used. This is all possible because Google has optimal visibility into how customers are using its various services within their hybrid configurations.

"The network is slowly becoming a priority now that more companies are relying on hybrid configurations."

Data Center Knowledge reported that Google eventually expects its cloud connectivity services to become less focused on bringing data between corporate data centers and the cloud and more between enterprise locations and cloud systems. This distinction is key, as it highlights the growing trend toward businesses running few workloads in house and relying more heavily on diverse cloud systems.

Accelerating hybrid cloud connectivityWhether you go with a direct connection, such as an MPLS or a solution similar to Google's new Direct System, or opt to upgrade your internet services, the key is to align the service model with your day-to-day workload demands. The TechTarget report explained that the mindset around networking in the cloud is shifting. While businesses used to push connectivity to the back burner, the network is slowly becoming a priority now that more companies are relying on hybrid configurations.

The importance of investing in hybrid cloud connectivity is getting clearer. As businesses explore how to handle their networks, some strategic cloud computing training could be in order. Selecting the best network service is often a matter of having a deep understanding of IT workloads in order to optimize the cost-to-performance ratio of the network. New Horizons can offer a combination of IT training courses to help technology professionals develop the skills they need to keep pace with the changing connectivity requirements of the hybrid cloud.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173368/title/3-ways-enterprise-apps-are-shifting-in-20183 ways enterprise apps are shifting in 2018Fri, 30 Mar 2018 02:50:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173368/title/3-ways-enterprise-apps-are-shifting-in-2018
Enterprise apps are going through a transformation. Since the dawn of the PC, most businesses have relied on highly structured, inflexible software and applications. As mobile device use has skyrocketed in recent years, business users have flocked toward consumer apps for their more intuitive experiences, frequent update cycles and powerful features. Basically, workers aren't happy to settle for clunky, outdated interfaces and monolithic architectures. They want responsive apps that inject a sense of fun or convenience into their days.

This trend has come to a head in recent years, and 2018 should be no different. Enterprise apps continue to evolve, with three trends standing out amongst the rest:

1. Collaboration built into everythingEnterprise employees are growing tired of jumping through hoops to work together on projects. It's getting so easy for consumers to hop into video conferences, share files and work simultaneously on the same documents that users aren't willing to sacrifice that functionality in the enterprise. In fact, business users want more.

"Enterprise users want responsive apps that inject a sense of fun or convenience into their days."

According to Verizon Enterprise Solutions, the rise of digital technologies is set to reach another level when it comes to enterprise collaboration. Businesses will increasingly roll out apps that let users obtain multi-channel access to data and collaboration tools. This will be furthered with mobile app functionality, creating an ecosystem in which project data, files, calendar information and collaboration tools are all accessible within app interfaces.

2. AI taking holdWith artificial intelligence in its various permutations, becoming more accessible in enterprise settings, many businesses are looking into ways to deploy AI into everyday applications to leverage machine learning and similar solutions to their potential. Medium reported that a variety of cloud service providers are creating enterprise apps with AI as a built-in feature, and platforms are increasingly emerging to drive performance and functionality gains by putting AI in the hands of end users.

3. Bots becoming dominantOne of the specific ways AI is emerging in the enterprise space comes in the form of bots and virtual assistants. Think about Siri or Alexa. These bots can use natural language recognition, advanced search functionality and deep learning engines to interact with users in intuitive ways, transforming how people engage with their devices. A vision of users foregoing web searches entirely because they can just talk to a bot isn't far fetched anymore. This could be the year of the bot.

A Gartner study found that more businesses are creating their own apps, with many of them already moving to embrace bots. Approximately 52 percent of the respondents to the survey said they are piloting bots, chatbots or virtual assistants in mobile apps, or at least exploring the option. The rise of bots could transform how people interact with apps and services moving forward.

With the enterprise app sector shifting quickly, IT teams need to be prepared for change. Strategic training can go a long way in helping organizations get ahead. New Horizons offers corporate computer training and IT skills development courses to help individual technology professionals or entire IT departments gain the competencies needed in a shifting marketplace.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173283/title/How-to-make-yourself-a-desirable-IT-job-applicantHow to make yourself a desirable IT job applicantThu, 29 Mar 2018 00:57:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173283/title/How-to-make-yourself-a-desirable-IT-job-applicant
Businesses of all kinds rely on information technology professionals to implement and maintain many of their most essential tools and processes. If you're interested in pursuing a career in IT, first you have to make your way through the processes of applying and interviewing for a position. To maximize your chances of landing the position you want, it's important to combine a robust set of up-to-date skills with the ability to present your accomplishments in the best light.

When you walk into an interview for an IT job, you should be confident that you have the education and the know-how to succeed. If you want to start or advance in a career as an IT specialist, here are some vital areas to focus on before you fill out your next job application:

Brush up your technical skills

"IT professionals must have the knowledge and experience to work effectively with a range of systems."

IT professionals must have the knowledge and experience to work effectively with a range of systems. They should be adept at analyzing a company's current hardware and software to find opportunities to improve performance and efficiency. In an IT job, you'll be tasked with keeping an organization's technological infrastructure running reliably, addressing time-sensitive problems and identifying areas where upgrades are necessary.

Though not all IT jobs are focused on developing programs, one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a technology career is by learning multiple coding languages. According to TechRepublic, some of the most in-demand languages today are Python, which is widely used for machine learning, and R, the data processing and statistical analysis language that's commonly the basis for analytics projects. Meanwhile, Java is still crucial at many organizations and often involved in building mobile apps.

When you're searching for a job, being able to shift between languages shows potential employers that you're capable of managing complex systems and have a genuine interest in technology. Showing a portfolio of coding projects you've worked on in the past can be one of the most convincing ways of proving you would be a good fit for a tech role.

Understand cybersecurity

Keeping sensitive data safe is one of the top priorities for businesses of all kinds. However, as a report from Enterprise Strategy Group found, hiring individuals with the knowledge necessary to secure a company's systems remains a major challenge for IT departments. In a survey of 620 cybersecurity professionals, 51 percent said they had encountered a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills among job applicants.

There are numerous areas of expertise that can come into play in fending off malware, data breaches and other dangers. Organizations need people who are experienced in using security tools and proactive about monitoring for threats. These IT experts should be able to identify the conditions that leave systems vulnerable, react swiftly to intrusions and strategize to make long-term improvements in how an enterprise protects its valuable information. Cultivating these areas of tech savvy shows a commitment to data security that makes a candidate more attractive to potential employers.

Expand your soft skills

When we think of highly qualified IT professionals, it's natural to concentrate on an array of technical abilities. However, the best candidates for these positions go beyond a deep knowledge of how to work with advanced systems and networks. They also have the soft skills that make it possible for IT departments to work closely with the rest of an organization and help leaders to move toward their objectives.

IT specialists are most effective when they are excellent communicators, capable of giving methodical directions and getting difficult concepts across to stakeholders who may not have a deep grounding in technology. In turn, they can convey requests from other departments to IT teams, ensuring that an organization has the resources it needs to streamline and scale operations. They are good at managing their time, meeting milestones and keeping even difficult projects on track.

Building up your skills and experience will make you a stronger candidate for IT positions.

Earn certifications

To take the next step in your career as an IT expert, you need extensive knowledge in a variety of areas. You can develop your abilities and stand out from other candidates by taking classes and earning certifications in relevant areas. Undergoing training in CompTIA and specialized areas such as cybersecurity or cloud-based technologies could make a big difference in your competitiveness on the job market and long-term success.

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offers classes in all the technical areas necessary for a career in IT. In addition, the Center for Leadership and Development has a curriculum in IT service management that's designed to help you meet the unique needs of an enterprise with a solid grounding in the service lifecycle and best practices.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/31/title/How-to-Measure-IT-Training-ROI-and-Amplify-the-Value-to-Your-Business-How to Measure IT Training ROI and Amplify the Value to Your Business Tue, 27 Mar 2018 17:34:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/31/title/How-to-Measure-IT-Training-ROI-and-Amplify-the-Value-to-Your-Business-

Training IT staff equips your organization to implement technologies that drive efficiency. Employees also value employers that invest in their career advancement and tend to stay longer at those organizations, resulting in even more cost savings to your business.

The benefits of ongoing employee education are undeniable, especially in the fast-paced world of IT. But measuring and selling the direct business impact of IT training isn’t easy, especially for technical, behind-the-scenes projects that the C-suite never sees.

In fact, only 8 percent of companies track the return on investment of training programs, a study by McKinsey found. Without a clear path to business value, training programs often lose funding or don’t get the budget allocation they deserve.

However, there are concrete ways to measure IT training ROI and prioritize training programs in your organization to reap the benefits.

Obstacles to IT Training

Many roadblocks inhibit organizations from rolling out successful training programs — or offering education opportunities at all. Here are some examples.

Budget and Resources

Budget is a top reason decision-makers push IT training aside. Tracking and communicating IT training ROI can help break through these objections.

Technical training also requires the most significant time investment of any business unit, according to Training magazine. Even when departments receive a training budget, it’s often limited.

Tracking the ROI of IT training also isn’t clear-cut — unlike sales and marketing training, for example. When employees complete sales training, revenue and sales metrics should increase. Tracking the ROI of IT infrastructure training is more obscure.

Fear of Employees Leaving

Many managers also write off IT training because they fear employees will complete the courses and take their skills elsewhere.

But this misconception simply isn’t true.

Training and growth opportunities have been shown to improve employee retention. It's particularly true for millennials, the youngest wave of the workforce. In one study, 87 percent of millennials cited personal development and career growth as significant both when looking for jobs and in their current job roles.

Looking to roll out an IT training program for your organization? See New Horizon’s full list of IT training courses here.

Understanding the ROI of IT Training

The goals of IT training boils down to two things — increase profits and mitigate risk.

IT training enables companies to do more with less. It facilitates strategic thinking, equips teams with new technical capabilities and makes businesses more efficient, increasing profits.

For example, what if your staff could complete rote administration tasks in half the time because they knew how to script them using PowerShell?

IT training also improves security, empowering employees to manage data, networks, users and information to protect your business and reduce risk.

Take virtualization training, for example. If your staff hasn’t learned about hypervisors, compatibility and administration, you could be spending a lot more on hardware infrastructure than you need.

Training also increases the value of your IT department without having to hire more staff. Learning new technology inspires innovation and improves capacity to adopt new processes and solutions.

IT training can also solve old IT headaches. Employees often approach training sessions with their current job in mind. They look for opportunities to apply new skill sets to current challenges and problems.

There are countless benefits on the employee side as well. Employee training increases job satisfaction and morale, boosts motivation and reduces employee turnover. Employees value organizations that are willing to invest in their skills and are less likely to leave.

Calculating IT Training ROI

The best way to overcome IT training obstacles is to demonstrate the ROI of IT training.

To measure IT training ROI, you need to quantify the immediate and future monetary value your organization will see with the newly acquired skills.

Use these steps to assign a value to IT training and calculate ROI.

Determine the goals of IT training. Identify what’s important to your organization and its goals. What metrics do you want to quantify?

One of the immediate benefits of IT training is preparing your team to address and solve problems. Upgrading skills to utilize new technology better or improve current processes is another immediate area of impact you can measure.

Here are a few examples of goals you can measure through IT training:

Time savings: Will the training result in less time required to perform tasks, less supervision required, better time management or shorter lead time to reach proficiency?

Increased productivity: Is the goal to decrease time to resolution, reduce downtime or complete IT projects faster?

Personnel performance: Did the training eliminate the need to hire new employees? Improve absenteeism or tardiness?

Take measurements before and after training. Establish the baseline for your goals. Measure your team’s level of expertise with the technology before training and how equipped they are to take on projects afterward.

Calculate the dollar value of the benefits. Assign a dollar value to the criteria you want to measure. For example, if your objective is to successfully migrate to Azure, how much will you save by completing the project in-house versus outsourcing? What additional savings will your organization see? How much more would you have to pay outside talent to obtain these skills?

Calculate the return on investment. Input the metrics into the following formula to gauge ROI:

($ dollar value of benefits) – cost of training = IT Training ROI

How to Get the Most Out of Your IT Training

To maximize the ROI of your IT training, you need to choose the right solution. Ask these questions when evaluating training options.

Post-Training Follow-Up

It’s not enough to implement training. IT training ROI comes from applying the skills learned in courses.

After your team has completed training, schedule a knowledge sync. First, identify the action items and takeaways. What did they learn? What are the key takeaways they are going to apply? What longer-term projects or ideas do they want to implement? Document any training takeaways and action items and have each team member submit an implementation plan.

It’s easy to complete a training course without consciously following through. Make sure any immediate takeaways are applied and follow up periodically on long-term ideas to make sure employees get the full benefit of the training program.

Ready to Boost Your IT Team with New Horizons IT Training?

At New Horizons, we have IT training courses in everything from SQL Server to Cisco and cybersecurity. Whether you're looking for entry-level networking courses or advanced programming skills, we can help you find the right courses for your organization.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173020/title/3-migration-trends-defining-cloud-projects-today3 migration trends defining cloud projects todayThu, 22 Mar 2018 10:15:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173020/title/3-migration-trends-defining-cloud-projects-today
The cloud computing sector continues to mature as service providers compete over market share and work to gain a clear edge over one another. As this maturation has progressed, businesses have often faced highly varied pathways to the cloud as they have explored the technology to solve distinct problems. Because of this, organizations must not only understand what cloud options are out there, but also evaluate how a given technology can contribute to solving their day-to-day operational problems.

Cloud computing training can help IT teams grapple with this complexity, and it may be necessary as businesses contend with the reality of moving workloads to the cloud. Here are three major cloud migration trends that are having a significant impact on businesses today:

1. Cloud migration is still challengesIf you're thinking that the increased maturation of the cloud sector means that transitioning workloads has become old hat, you may be mistaken. Many organizations still find themselves struggling to complete cloud projects effectively. Respondents to a study performed by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Velostrata found that approximately 57 percent of application projects take longer than expected. All told, 62 percent of cloud migrations end up being more difficult than companies anticipated.

A variety of factors are contributing to these problems, but one of the biggest issues is the ongoing IT skills gap. Fifty-six percent of those polled in the study said a lack of expertise and competing IT projects has led to migration problems.

2. Multi-cloud strategies risingIf migrating an application to the cloud is proving difficult, businesses may be in for a rude awakening as multi-cloud setups become more common. Forrester analyst Lauren Nelson told CIO magazine that many companies are implementing multi-cloud strategies in an effort to diversify their strategies and avoid vendor lock-in.

While the benefits are nice, the result is more complexity managing resources across multiple environments and needing to deal with network and application disparity between cloud configurations, Nelson told the news source.

3. Containers taking over

"Don't let the shifting cloud world intimidate your organization."

The time has come for containerized cloud strategies to take a much larger role in the market. In particular, containers, microservices and orchestration tools are blending together to create more cohesive, streamlined cloud configurations, a report from The Enterprisers Project explained. Industry expert Craig McLuckie said that the type of standardization offered within containerized systems will push more traditional software vendors to delve into the cloud and drive packaged service models.

Preparing for the next cloud eraThere's a lot of change occurring in the cloud sector. In some cases, technological innovation is emerging to make the cloud easier to deal with, improving day-to-day management and performance. The problem is that the cloud is still changing and evolving so quickly that many businesses can't realistically keep up. It could be time to ramp up cloud-related IT training in response. Organizations that invest in knowledge and skills development can position their teams to maximize the value of cloud projects and create the best opportunity for success. Don't let the shifting cloud world intimidate your organization. Use strategic training to get ahead.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173000/title/Azure-vertical-scaling-basics:-Why-use-it-and-how-does-it-work?Azure vertical scaling basics: Why use it and how does it work?Thu, 22 Mar 2018 03:01:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40173000/title/Azure-vertical-scaling-basics:-Why-use-it-and-how-does-it-work?
Hosting applications and services on Microsoft Azure gives organizations access to a powerful platform with a flexible underlying architecture. This is particularly evident in the ability to vertically scale an Azure virtual machine with minimal disruption. Microsoft certified training programs can help you understand the full implications of vertical scaling in Azure, but here's a quick look to help you get started.

What is vertical scaling?According to a Microsoft blog post, the idea of vertical scaling is the equivalent of adding or reducing to the size of a virtual machine. Instead of expanding a workload outward by adding or subtracting virtual machines in a system - which is horizontal scaling - vertical scalability keeps a single VM intact, but changes its size and resource parameters.

Vertical scaling is also distinct from reprovisioning, as the Microsoft article explained that a completely new VM is required for a fresh provision, whereas scaling simply adjusts the existing configuration.

"The value of vertical scaling often boils down to cost reductions."

Why scale vertically?Microsoft explained that the value of vertical scaling often boils down to cost reductions. If you have a workload that experiences consistent usage patterns - such as an enterprise app that isn't particularly active during the weekends - you can scale down the size of the virtual machine to support the smaller user base. This reduces the quantity of cloud resources you are consuming and controls the cost of the plan. Conversely, if you have plans to add users to a service or otherwise expand workloads on a VM, you can vertically scale up. By starting smaller and easily expanding, you avoid waste caused by over-provisioning from the outset.

What happens when you enact vertical scaling?Resizing a virtual machine is not as large a change as a complete refresh. Furthermore, you are generally going to keep the VM in the same server (or simply move it to one new system), so the actual change can be much simpler than horizontal scaling or rebuilding the VM.

According to Microsoft, vertically scaling an Azure VM does require a reboot, but that's it. Simply restart the VM and you have a freshly scaled solution.

How do you establish scalability?Of course, the ability to vertically scale isn't too helpful if you have to manually go in and tell the system to do it every time use requirements change. You'd have to spend all your time staring at performance metrics and making manual changes. Instead, you can create scripts to automatically trigger VM scaling in Azure. The Microsoft blog post mentioned earlier explained that you can do this through an Azure Automation account. From there, you import vertical scale runbooks, add a webhook and create alerts so the webhook will identify use statistics and notify users when scale changes need to be made.

In some cases, particularly for smaller systems, you'll still need to trigger the change manually, you just won't have to track behavior because you'll get alerts. Larger Azure VMs can use autoscaling.

Want to learn more about the inner workings of Azure? Contact New Horizons today. We can help you develop a training strategy for your staff or develop your personal skills as an IT professional.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172956/title/Learning-as-a-Service:-The-new-model-for-educational-achievementLearning-as-a-Service: The new model for educational achievementWed, 21 Mar 2018 13:37:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172956/title/Learning-as-a-Service:-The-new-model-for-educational-achievement
The rapid and systemic changes in enterprise technology are pushing businesses to put more resources into training and skills development. The IT skills gap is a major topic of conversation, so we won't dwell on it here, but it is vital to note that many companies find themselves struggling to develop and retain IT professionals with the competencies needed in today's IT climate. Improving models for technology training can go a long way in resolving some of these issues, and Learning-as-a-Service platforms are emerging to meet this demand.

What is Learning-as-a-ServiceIn simplest terms, LaaS gathers typical training models - instructor-led courses, lab work, self-paced classes, etc. - and bundles them into a subscription-based services that organizations can use on a pay-per-use basis. For example, instead of committing to taking a week-long workshop with a high entry cost and major time commitment, you may subscribe to have an IT worker attend a weekend class and take a few online modules. The blended service model allows for more accessibility and less long-term fiscal commitment.

The market for LaaS solutions is rising quickly, with many vendors moving to offer the educational structure to various enterprise segments, the Technology Services Industry Association found. According to the TSIA, a few educational offerings are being bundled into LaaS solutions:

All LaaS solutions recognized by the study include e-learning.

Approximately 47 percent of systems provide standalone lab access.

Virtual instructor-led training is included in 40 percent of platforms.

Dedicated video libraries are available in 33 percent of LaaS systems.

With such varied options in place, organizations can use LaaS offering to improve skills development through convenient and efficient means.

LaaS solutions are making IT training extremely accessible.

Taking advantage of LaaSBusinesses working to improve their skills development strategies can partner with an LaaS provider to gain access to varied course offerings and learning opportunities without having to commit to a large-scale program. As the solution is delivered in a service format, you only end up paying for the classes your employees actually take - alongside any secondary solution offerings - making it easier to maximize the returns on training investments.

Besides this cost efficiency, LaaS can also make it easier to streamline IT training because the platform can track who has consumed materials, when they did so and what options have been scheduled. Because of this, you can establish learning pathways you want your IT team to complete and let them move through lessons and other materials in whichever way works best for them.

LaaS isn't just beneficial for IT leaders developing a training program, it's also useful for individuals trying to advance their careers. The flexibility and adaptability offered by LaaS options make it easy to jump into and out of training initiatives depending on your availability at a given time.

LaaS is lowering the entry point for IT skills development, and the result is a service model that benefits businesses and individual IT professionals alike.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172945/title/What-is-new-for-Office-365-in-2018?What is new for Office 365 in 2018?Wed, 21 Mar 2018 11:15:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172945/title/What-is-new-for-Office-365-in-2018?

Billions of people around the globe rely on Office 365 to drive businesses forward. To accommodate subscribers’ evolving needs, Microsoft issues new features every month. This year, Microsoft’s focus has been on boosting productivity and collaboration.

In this blog, we’ll review exciting new Office 365 updates in 2018. We’ll dive into the latest features and show you how to use them.

What Are the Top Office 365 Updates in 2018?

Whether you use Office 365 on Windows desktop, Mac or Online, there are new features you can enjoy. Choose your endpoint to see the updates you can take advantage of now.

Office 365 for Windows Desktop

Office 365 for Mac

Office 365 Online

New Office 365 Features for Windows Desktop Subscribers and Insiders

Here are the new features available now for Windows desktop subscribers.

1. Make Meetings Private in Outlook

Now in Outlook, you can turn off forwarding for a meeting when you create a meeting request. Doing this prevents attendees from sharing the meeting with others. To restrict forwarding, select Response Options and uncheck Allow Forwarding.

2. Refresh, Relink or Delete Linked Tables in Access

Wish there were an easier way to manipulate linked tables in Access when a data source location, table name or table schema changes? The updated Linked Table Manager now lets you refresh, relink, edit, add and delete linked tables in one place.

To fix table errors, refresh the data source. Then enter the correct location or edit the data source to address the problem. If errors persist, relink individual tables that have a Failed status.

3. Provide More Information in Task Cards in Project

Now you can add up to five additional fields in task cards within a project to convey more information. Include important details such as the percentage of work complete, project duration and start date by selecting Customize Cards under the Format tab in a project’s Task Board.

4. Import Visio Diagrams Into Word Documents

Need to include a Visio workflow in a Word document? After you create the diagram, select Process > Export > Word. If you want to customize the diagram for the Word document, choose Export to Word (Preview) and make edits from the preview window.

5. See People Suggestions in Outlook Scheduling Assistant

Adding people to meetings just got easier. Now the Outlook Scheduling Assistant suggests attendees when you add people to a meeting invite. No more toggling back to the calendar invitation to see who’s missing.

6. Chat With Co-Authors While You Edit in Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Need to talk over some edits with co-workers? Message them within select 365 products with the new chat window.

To get started, click the chat icon near the top right of the screen. To send and receive messages, all collaborators must have the file open. Note that once you close the file, your chat history will be deleted.

To use the tool, select Accessibility Checker from the Review tab or go to File > Info > Check for Issues. Critical accessibility issues, issues that make your content impossible for someone with a disability to read, are categorized as Errors.

First, jot down your main points on each title slide with the Pen tool under Draw, then select Ink to Text. Click and drag a box around the ink you want to convert. Then click the Convert to Text button in the upper right corner of the box. You can also use this handy tool for shapes.

10. Invite People to Join Groups With URLs in Outlook

Now people can join your groups in Outlook by clicking on a shared a link. To generate the link, select the group and then select Invite. Copy and paste the URL into an email or share via chat. This feature is also available to Office 365 Online users.

11. Manage Sprints From the Task Board in Project

Now you can manage sprints at a glance in Project. Just select View > Task Board > Manage Sprints. You can change the duration and start date of existing sprints by editing the Length and Start fields at the top of the window. Add new sprints in the field below.

Just highlight your text, and select Font Color under the Home tab. This feature is also available for Mac, iOS and Android users.

Windows users that have an Office Insider subscription can enjoy two additional new features.

13. Track Live Stock Market and Geographic Data in Excel

Keep track of stock or geographic information with two new data types in Excel. To create a table with stock market data, type the company name or ticker in the first column. Then highlight the companies you want to track, and select Stocks under the Data tab.

Once you see symbols next to each company, click the Add Column button in the upper right corner of the cell and select the data type you wish to see. The cells will populate automatically. For geographic data, type location names instead of company names and select Geography.

14. Access Recent Save Locations in Project

No more wasting time trying to find the right folder. Now Project keeps a running list of where you saved other recent projects. When you’re ready to save a new project, choose one of your previous save locations.

New Office 365 Features for Mac Subscribers and Insiders

Mac users also have several new features to look forward to in PowerPoint, Excel, Word and Outlook.

1. Mention Co-Workers in Comments in Word and PowerPoint

Now you can mention collaborators in comments within a document or presentation. Just type “@” and your colleague’s screen name to get their attention. They’ll receive an email notification with your comment and a link to the file.

2. Take Notes in Digital Ink in Word and PowerPoint

Need to proofread a document, workbook or presentation quickly? Markup files with the new pens under the Draw tab.

3. Insert 3D Models and Rotate in Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Want to elevate deliverables by adding dimension? Now you can import and manipulate 3D models in documents, workbooks and presentations without using special software.

To insert your model, select Insert > 3D Models > From a File or Online Library. Once imported, you can change how your model looks by clicking the Rotate or Pan & Zoom buttons. To make your object look like it’s rotating, use the Morph transition.

Now the font you choose is the font everyone sees. To embed your fonts, go to PowerPoint > Preferences. Under Output and Sharing select Save and then check Embed fonts in the file.

6. Insert and Play Videos in PowerPoint Without Leaving the App

Embedding and presenting videos in PowerPoint for Mac used to be a pain.

But now you can easily add online videos by selecting Insert > Online Movie and pasting the URL of the video you want into the box. To play the video in the slide, press play.

7. Enhance Readability in Word

Use the Learning Tools in Word to look at your content from a different perspective. Adjust the column width to get a bigger picture, change the page color to give your eyes a rest, play around with text spacing and even hear your document read aloud.

To use this tool, go to View > Learning Tools.

8. Flash Fill Cells in Excel

Excel just got smarter. Now it recognizes patterns in your data and can flash fill formulas into adjacent cells. To fill a formula into an adjoining range of cells select Home > Fill and then tell Excel whether you want it to fill data up, down, left or right.

9. Convert Text to Another Language in Excel, PowerPoint and Word

Need to translate a chunk of text in a document, workbook or presentation? It’s now possible with Microsoft Translator. To translate, highlight the text you want to convert, select Review > Translate and select a language.

10. Customize Your Signature in Outlook

Now Mac users can create signatures that rival PC users’. Add rich font styles, colors and images to your signature in Outlook. Now when you select Edit Signature in an email, a new window opens that includes all the formatting tools you enjoy in Word.

11. Create an Office 365 Group in Outlook

Now Mac users can edit Groups in Outlook, too. To create a Group, go to File > New > Group. Then fill out the required fields, add members and select your desired privacy level.

In addition to these features, Mac Office 365 Insiders can also:

Create linear format math equations in Word. To write a math equation in a linear format, press CONTROL + m.

Improve accessibility in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. To access it in Word, Excel and PowerPoint go to Review > Check Accessibility or Tools > Accessibility. To locate in Outlook, go to Options > Check Accessibility. From there, Office will suggest changes to accommodate various disabilities and international standards. Note that the tool labels critical accessibility issues as Warnings.

Change hyperlink colors in PowerPoint.

New Features for Office 365 Online Users

Although Office 365 Online products are slightly less advanced than their desktop versions, the new features released over the past three months aim to improve usability.

1. Bolster Your Résumé in Word With the Résumé Assistant

Want to give your résumé a boost? Take advantage of the new LinkedIn Résumé Assistant in Word.

Open your résumé in Word and navigate to Review > Resume Assistant > Get Started. Type in the role you’re interested in to see real-life work experience and skills associated with it.

2. Reference Cells With One or Two Clicks in Excel

Before this update, the only way to reference cells in Excel Online was to type the cell name. Now if you need to reference a cell within a formula, select the sheet the cell is located in and then the cell.

3. Accurately Align Shapes in Visio

Forget about dragging, dropping and re-sizing to center and line up shapes. Snap shapes into alignment with the click of a button by selecting Align Shapes and choosing from Align Left, Center, Right Top, Middle or Bottom.

4. Send and Receive Collaboration Notifications in PowerPoint

Constantly checking a presentation for changes is no way to work.

Now, if co-workers make changes to a PowerPoint while you’re away, you’ll receive notifications via email and the Windows 10 Action Center. You’ll also be able to see updates that happened while you were away the next time you open the Online file.

5. Specify the Type of Information Users Can Enter Into a Cell in Excel

To do this, select the cells you wish to validate, then go to Data > Data Validation. In the allow box, check the type of data you want to permit. Create further restrictions by editing the other fields in the Settings window.

6. Collaborate On Visio Diagrams in Teams

Now when you upload a Visio Online Diagram to your Teams channel, all members can edit it. To do this, just click Edit Diagram within Teams.

7. Enhance Your Data With Shapes in Excel

Want to point out exciting insights within your spreadsheet? Add emphasis and excitement by adding shapes. Choose from arrows, stars, circles and more just like you would in Word and PowerPoint.

8. Add Visio Diagrams to Power BI WebReports

Ever wish you could include a Visio workflow next to your Power BI chart or map? Now you can.

First, create each model: one in Visio and the other in Excel. Be sure to name your Visio shapes after the corresponding Excel data.

When it comes to Office 365 updates, users don't all get access to the same features at the same time. Microsoft typically rolls out changes based on subscription models. IT training can help IT leaders understand what to expect from Microsoft and be ready to take advantage of updates coming in 2018 and beyond.

If you’ve scoured multiple document management systems to track down a file, you know that collaborating on corporate documents often wastes time and money.

Microsoft SharePoint centralizes document storage and collaboration to help companies organize, manage and share documents. Today it’s one of the top business collaboration platforms – two out of three enterprise employees use SharePoint.

As more businesses migrate to SharePoint, the demand for experienced SharePoint administrators and developers will increase. Companies need to ensure their IT teams have the skills to manage and customize the highly technical SharePoint platform.

Here are the SharePoint skills that will accelerate your career and help your organization effectively implement SharePoint solutions.

SharePoint Skills to Learn Today

SharePoint helps businesses work faster and more collaboratively. It’s a complex platform that requires knowledge of other technical Microsoft programs.

The SharePoint skills required for the job depend on the career you’re pursuing. In this article, we’ll dive into the most popular SharePoint roles and the essential skills you need to master SharePoint.

SharePoint Careers

Most SharePoint positions require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or a related technical area. If you don’t have a degree, you can gain comparable education by earning a SharePoint certification.

You also need at least two to four years of hands-on IT experience under your belt before pursuing a SharePoint-specific role. Expertise in web development, networking and cloud technology will transfer easily to a SharePoint position.

Managing a SharePoint site requires overseeing a lot of moving parts. The most common SharePoint roles are:

SharePoint Administrator: The administrator is the first line of support, administration, user education and security. They are responsible for day-to-day management, understanding the site’s purpose and delegating tasks to other SharePoint employees to resolve issues quickly. They also understand some SharePoint architecture.

SharePoint Developer: While SharePoint offers out-of-the-box features, many companies customize the platform for their needs. SharePoint developers create custom code and applications. Developers have in-depth knowledge of programming languages and technologies that work with SharePoint and create, implement and troubleshoot new applications and integrations.

SharePoint Architect: Architects design SharePoint environments for optimal use and performance. Where SharePoint developers create custom applications, architects will determine when and where to use custom solutions and develop best practices to implement them. They plan out everything from the server and network layout to load balancing to ensure the platform fulfills business needs.

Administrators and developers are two of the most popular SharePoint roles. While there are several SharePoint roles, the career path isn’t linear.

As SharePoint increasingly becomes hybrid or cloud-based, job requirements and skill sets are shifting. SharePoint roles and responsibilities will merge and overlap depending on the needs of the organization.

Even if you want to become a SharePoint developer, you should also develop project management and administrator skills. Each position demands different core skills that will help you stand out to employers and confidently transition to the new platform.

SharePoint Administrator Skills

SharePoint administrators manage the content hosted on SharePoint and help expedite user adoption within an organization. They are responsible for maintaining and securing the platform and monitoring system usage to optimize performance.

Other basic tasks include:

Creating and configuring new sites

Adding document libraries

Creating and configuring lists and forms

Backing up SharePoint sites

SharePoint administrators must be excellent communicators and maintain a business mindset. The average base salary for a SharePoint administrator is $80,000.

Core Microsoft Skills for SharePoint Administrators

SharePoint integrates with core Microsoft products like Office 365 and Dynamics 365. When evaluating your SharePoint skills, potential employers want to see that you’ve worked across Microsoft products.

When preparing for a career as a SharePoint administrator, here are some core Microsoft technologies you’ll want to gain experience with:

Technical Skills for SharePoint Administrators

Companies use SharePoint to manage and store documents across the organization. SharePoint administrators also need a combination of business and technical knowledge to resolve potential roadblocks and user issues. This knowledge includes:

Business analysis skills to organize and execute SharePoint projects that align with the business workflow

Basic SharePoint tools like ULS Logs, workflows to automate business processes and SharePoint forms for tasks such as creating expense reports

SharePoint Developer Skills

SharePoint developers create and configure SharePoint solutions. Although the lines between an administrator and developer often blur, developers possess advanced SharePoint skills to code custom applications and websites to meet specific business needs.

For example, a SharePoint developer might be in charge of building custom workflows or implementing controls to improve a SharePoint site’s functionality.

The best SharePoint developers have a knack for understanding end-user problems and discovering the right solutions. They understand how users access and organize information in SharePoint and implement processes that streamline and simplify information management and collaboration.

Developers need a variety of scripting, drafting and design tools under their belt. IT professionals who are willing to learn the technical skills required for this position are rewarded – the average salary for a SharePoint developer is $95,249.

Core Microsoft Skills for SharePoint Developers

As a SharePoint Developer, you’ll be responsible for creating and customizing SharePoint websites. Seek out experience with these core programs to elevate to a developer role:

SharePoint Designer: This user-friendly tool is perfect for quick building integration solutions or simple workflows.

Visio: Visio is useful for drafting and collaborating on workflows before exporting them to SharePoint Designer.

PowerShell: This tool allows you to run and automate scripts in SharePoint.

Programming Languages for SharePoint Developers

Understanding different programming languages is essential to learning SharePoint. Developers should know as many programming languages as possible to make business goals come to life through SharePoint solutions.

Learn SharePoint Skills From Real-World Experts

Hands-on, instructor-led training is the most effective way to learn essential SharePoint skills.

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers comprehensive SharePoint training at every expertise level. Whether you’re just getting started, are in the middle of a huge SharePoint project or want to brush up on your skills, New Horizons has SharePoint classes for every skill level and need.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172813/title/Self-paced-learning-through-on-demand-content:-What-are-the-benefits?Self-paced learning through on-demand content: What are the benefits?Sun, 18 Mar 2018 17:03:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172813/title/Self-paced-learning-through-on-demand-content:-What-are-the-benefits?
In a traditional classroom, students follow the pace of the curriculum. The teacher presents a series of lessons and assignments, and it's the responsibility of each individual enrolled in the class to keep up. This time-honored approach to learning may provide structure and motivation for students of all ages, but that doesn't mean it's always the best model for education or training.

Today's technology makes individualized learning more accessible and effective than ever. Busy professionals who are striving to improve their technical or leadership skills can take advantage of remote learning and on-demand content to set the schedule that works best for them. With the flexibility to pace themselves, workers can develop the knowledge and competencies that are most in demand at growing organizations and prepare to advance in their careers.

The convenience of remote courses

"Flexibility is important in a high-speed business environment."

A Gallup study reported that 43 percent of employees worked remotely at least some of the time in 2016, an increase of 4 percent from 2012. With the ready availability of collaboration software and cloud storage, U.S. workplaces are trending toward allowing employees more freedom to complete tasks from their homes or favorite local cafe. Professional education is following suit, making it as convenient as possible for employees to set time aside for completing a training program.

That flexibility is especially important in a high-speed business environment where workers often need to be capable of responding immediately to changing situations. Getting bogged down with a set schedule and location for training can make it difficult to fulfill crucial responsibilities. Workers are less likely to drop out of a program if they know they can consult materials and complete assignments at their own convenience.

Meeting the needs of every student

In live training, instructors must do their best to teach according to the capabilities of the majority of students. That often means that individuals who already have a solid grounding in the material feel that the course is progressing too slowly, while others might be lost and need more time to explore basic concepts. Having access to lessons on demand makes it possible for all students to undergo training at the speed that suits their needs, taking extra time to review as necessary.

Pacing yourself may also mean retaining more of what you learn, as suggested by a study published in the Journal of Memory and Language. This research looked at how successful subjects were at learning a list of words under time constraints as opposed to when they were able to control their own study time. When learners took advantage of additional time to focus in on more difficult items, they performed significantly better than those who had to obey an imposed limit.

Having access to detailed lessons on demand results in more opportunities to explore key concepts before an exam. Afterward, you have the flexibility to discover where you made mistakes before moving on to the next unit. Otherwise, you can press on to the next challenge, avoiding getting bored with a course that's too slow for your level of expertise and losing your motivation.

The freedom to pace yourself can make learning more efficient and effective.

A more cost-effective training program

Self-paced content can be an excellent option for making educational initiatives more affordable, whether for individuals or entire teams. The expenses of training in a classroom or through live virtual sessions can mount quickly, especially for businesses that offer courses for numerous employees. Paying for qualified instructors and for the use of space and technology can add up.

On-demand programs are often a more affordable alternative. If a company needs to repeat the same lessons for every group of new hires or several teams across the organization, it can scale up with ease. Each student will have the ability to tailor the experience to his or her requirements and fit lessons into a packed calendar.

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offers a wide range of online learning options that are all designed to make it as intuitive as possible to build the skills that matter in organizations, from vendor-authorized training in essential database and productivity tools to soft skills in communication. Those who prefer traditional, classroom-based training can choose between attending their courses at locations across the U.S. and around the world. Meanwhile, online live training brings real-time instruction to professionals wherever they are.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172786/title/Follow-up-questions-you-should-always-be-asking-in-interviewsFollow-up questions you should always be asking in interviewsFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:20:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172786/title/Follow-up-questions-you-should-always-be-asking-in-interviews
No matter the industry, the precise role or even your age, job interviews are a stressful experience for just about anyone. We all want to present ourselves as the best candidate by showcasing our knowledge, impressing the people who might be our future bosses, and in some cases even acing a skills test or two. But according to Angela Zhang, a software developer who has been on both sides of the boardroom table in job interviews, there is one ingredient that is often missing from otherwise promising candidates: good follow-up questions.

"When I was a bright-eyed senior at MIT interviewing for my first full-time job, the part of the interview process I dreaded wasn't the algorithm design or the complexity analysis," she wrote. "It was the moment at the end of each hour-long interview when my interviewer would ask me: 'Are there any questions I can answer for you about the company?'"

This part of an interview might be seen as a formality or simply routine, but it serves many more purposes. As hard as it can be to put into practice when nerves get the best of you, job interviews should not be a one-sided conversation. Giving the candidate a chance to ask questions allows them to understand if the position and company are truly a good fit. It's also yet another way for job-seekers to impress whoever they are speaking with and show off the depth of research they should have already conducted.

If you're preparing for your next interview as a professional in the IT industry, there are a few specific things to consider when crafting your follow-up questions. Still, most of the same advice given to any job candidate still applies.

How to craft better interview questions

It's almost easier to provide a few general rules on what not to ask in a job interview, or how to at least prepare a few questions that will most effectively convey your interest in the employer. According to The Balance, follow-up interview questions should generally follow these guidelines:

Avoid asking "me" questions. Interview questions should demonstrate how you can help the company, not the other way around.

Be sure your questions focus on multiple different topics and could be answered by more than one person in the room. At the same time, keep each question as brief and to-the-point as possible, avoiding complicated questions with many parts.

If you think of a question that could be answered with a simple "yes" or "no," you can probably skip it or at least reformulate it to gain deeper insight into a company.

Job interviews are always a bit stressful, but this can be alleviated with better preparation.

Tech-focused question examples

Zhang, the software developer cited earlier, provided a few examples of follow-up interview questions that she felt were most effective and insightful after years of experience interviewing at tech companies. A few of these included:

"Tell me about a project you worked on recently."

This question is good only if you can provide more context or get more specific in the answers you are expecting. Many IT jobs are project-focused, which means they are often structured similarly and managed on tight deadlines and well-defined job roles. Ask about a recent project completed by someone in the room and how the process moved along. Try to get more information on how progress was evaluated or the changes that needed to be made along the way. You might even ask what could be done differently in future projects to achieve a better outcome.

"How has the company helped you achieve your career goals?"

Professional development is a major part of most full-time jobs in any industry, but it pans out quite differently from one company to another. This question should provide more details on what you might expect to gain from a position at the company in terms of new skills, certifications and other major learning achievements. On the other hand, if the response to this question is mixed or vague, it could be a clue that the company does not have an effective professional development system in place.

"What defines your company culture?"

If you do end up getting the job for which you are interviewing, you can expect to spend a great deal of time there. Asking about the culture of the company is important for assessing how you will fit into your new role. Zhang suggested asking how the company's culture differed from that of other tech companies, which could open up more specific lines of questioning. You might also consider asking about flexible work arrangements or how often coworkers meet in their free time to get a better sense of the company's culture.

The possibilities for what you could ask in a job interview are essentially unlimited. What really matters is that you ask the questions you think are most important, and that you do so with confidence.

Improving security at the foundation of enterprise systems - the operating system - is critical in response to the current cyber threat climate.

The breadth of the security and mobility challengesThe scale and volume of attacks are growing to a staggering degree. The Breach Level Index has tracked data breaches going back to 2013. More than 9.7 billion data records have been lost or stolen since then, and just 4 percent of all breaches could be classified as secure due to lost data being encrypted.

That's a lot of information being lost: It amounts to 3,564 records every minute. To complicate matters, mobile devices are pushing IT teams to oversee a wider range of endpoints, creating day-to-day system administration burdens that can distract from cybersecurity strategies.

According to Technavio, the enterprise mobility and bring your own device market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 24.12 percent for the 2017 to 2021 period.

With businesses facing shifting attack vectors and becoming more reliant on mobility management systems, IT teams need tools that can help them gain control over the entire configuration without sacrificing end-user convenience. Microsoft has been gradually building out Windows 10 functionality accordingly.

Security and management with Windows 10Microsoft is working tirelessly to get enterprise customers on board with Windows 10, which is no easy task as many companies are reticent to make OS upgrades when they aren't performing a hardware refresh. Furthermore, many businesses are moving to embrace mobile and choose your own device strategies, so Windows 10 needs advanced quality-of-life features to get IT leaders on board with a transition.

A few major features that are making Windows 10 attractive when it comes to security and management include:

AutoPilot: This cloud-based service incorporated into Windows 10 makes it easy for IT to create personalized settings for user configurations and easily provision new devices with the proper setup without reimaging.

Controlled Folder Access: This feature adds another layer of security depth to your system by controlling which applications can access folders with sensitive data, limiting the potential impact of a malware breach or similar intrusion.

These are just three among many security and management features in Windows 10. IT professionals with a deep knowledge of how to use the operating system's full capabilities can simplify and streamline many processes using the platform.

Microsoft certified training and skills development can be key for companies hoping to move to Windows 10. New Horizons offers organizations and individual IT pros a full suite of Windows 10 training opportunities, creating flexibility and convenience that can enable learners to understand the full implications of Windows 10 security and management capabilities.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172640/title/How-problem-solving-skills-will-help-you-ace-the-interviewHow problem-solving skills will help you ace the interviewTue, 13 Mar 2018 18:15:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172640/title/How-problem-solving-skills-will-help-you-ace-the-interview
A lot of effort and preparation go into making a job interview a success. You have to present yourself as polished in your professional appearance and responses to questions. Interviewees must show off their enthusiasm for taking on a new position and explain clearly how their past education and experience have prepared them for the responsibilities ahead.

To really close the deal, however, you have to go beyond demonstrating that you're a motivated job-seeker. Rather, it's important to show an interviewer just how an organization would benefit from having you as an employee. Revealing your abilities as a problem-solver and discussing precisely how you would apply those skills to relevant issues within the business are the most powerful ways to argue that you're the ideal person for the position.

Researching an organization's most urgent challenges

"The more you know about a potential employer, the better you can address its problems."

Before you walk into any interview, it's crucial to do your homework. The more you know about a potential employer, the better you can understand the types of problems that individual employees and the organization as a whole face on a daily basis. Researching a company and the market where it operates can prove highly revealing and help you to walk into the office ready to answer tough questions.

Get to know an organization's areas of expertise and culture by looking at the corporate website, social media pages and coverage in the press. When you have a clear perspective on a company's values and mission, you gain a stronger sense of what issues leadership is likely to prioritize. For instance, a company that's focused on customer service needs to find ways to keep the public happy with its products or services and encourage individuals to spread positive word-of-mouth.

Looking at the competitive landscape will tell you how a business stands in relation to others in the same space and how leaders are striving to distinguish their offerings. Recent initiatives undertaken by these other companies may have a big influence on policy or strategy moving forward. By taking into account any information you can discover about how a company is performing financially and its plans for growth, you may gain insight into some of its most urgent problems.

Consider how you might apply your own skills and background to resolving those issues and finding fresh opportunities in the current market. Get ready for the interview by thinking about how you might apply what you've learned and done in past jobs to the challenges currently confronting your prospective employer.

Conveying your problem-solving bona fides

After you've thoroughly investigated a company's culture and problems, the next step is to take what you've learned into the room for your interview. Over the course of the conversation, prioritize articulating the way you handle tough challenges and how you could apply your approach in a new role.

One way to build a narrative around your problem-solving abilities is by giving perceptive, confident answers to the interviewer's questions. You might be asked about a challenging incident you had to handle in the past or about how you might respond to a conflict in your new position. Respond by discussing specific examples of times that you managed a problem successfully, emphasizing your process for reasoning through to a solution.

Asking good questions is another way to convince an interviewer that you are ready and eager to meet the difficulties that go along with a job. When you seem genuinely curious about the specifics of the industry and the company's plans, it shows a desire to get involved in those processes. You may be able to establish strong connections between your narrative about your own problem-solving skills and a company's current undertakings.

Seize your chances to show off your problem-solving skills in an interview.

Learning the skills to be better in the interview and on the job

Solving any problem is about thoughtful planning and preparation. The right training can make all the difference in how you perform during an important interview and achieving long-term professional success. New Horizons Computer Centers offers free webinars on job-hunting and interview skills that are designed to help professionals present themselves in the best possible light.

Classes in the Center for Leadership and Development will teach you the principles and techniques that drive a successful career. With advanced training in areas like communication, emotional intelligence and time management, you'll be in a position to ace any interview and take on many of the most pressing challenges in the workplace. Being able to address problems with confidence and explain your reasoning clearly to others are essential skills for anyone who hopes to take on a leadership role.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172513/title/How-do-you-research-a-company-before-going-in-for-an-interview?How do you research a company before going in for an interview?Fri, 9 Mar 2018 12:47:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172513/title/How-do-you-research-a-company-before-going-in-for-an-interview?
In business, knowledge and preparation are always huge advantages. That applies to the job search and hiring processes as well. Before you walk into any interview, you should learn as much as you can about the organization you hope to work for and the position you want to fill.

Thoroughly researching a business can make all the difference when you're striving to take the next step in your career. With plenty of knowledge in your back pocket, you'll be ready to provide thoughtful answers to questions and show your enthusiasm for taking on a new opportunity. Keep these guidelines in mind when you're getting ready for an interview:

Seek out quality information

"Begin with a corporate website."

Any type of research starts with locating reliable sources that are relevant to your objectives. The obvious place to begin when you want perspective on a company is a corporate website. There, you'll find extensive details about an organization's priorities and what it does best.

Start by looking at a company description to gain a general understanding of a company's history and what products and services it offers. A new player on the scene will often have very different priorities and attitudes from a veteran firm.

Focus on developing a sense of how a business differentiates itself in the marketplace, solving a problem or meeting a need more effectively than its competitors. A mission statement will tell you more about the company's values and culture, which will guide what hiring managers look for in new employees.

Read through any articles from the press featured on the site, taking note of how leaders talk about their business and what initiatives they seem most interested in promoting. These pieces may also tell you something about the competitive landscape a business operates in and some of the major problems it faces. They may also reveal something about how it engages with the community by partnering with nonprofit organizations or participating in local events.

Look for links to social media pages to find out what platforms a business uses and the voice it presents to the public. Note the level of formality, and see if there are any products or services that are currently being singled out for a lot of promotion. If there are any images of current employees, they may reveal a little bit about what it's like to work in that environment.

Take a strategic approach

Once you have a clear picture of an organization's areas of expertise, mission and culture, it's time to start thinking about the contribution you have to offer. By directing further research strategically, you may discover just how your own strengths fit into a company's future.

If you are not already an expert in the products or services a company specializes in, make a point to learn more. That way, you can give thoughtful responses to questions and be more specific about what you will bring to the table as an employee. Concentrate on the aspects of a business that seem to be most crucial to its edge in the marketplace and plans for ongoing growth.

Once you understand a company's strengths in depth, you also want to know more about the competition it faces. That way, you'll have a better idea of what makes the company your interviewing for different from others. Being prepared to discuss an industry in broader terms demonstrates genuine engagement and can make for a livelier conversation.

By performing thorough research, you'll walk into an interview well prepared and confident.

Make your preparation count at the interview

Once you're in the room for your interview, you'll need to showcase what you've learned. There's no need to mention every fact you've gleaned or rattle off precise figures. Instead, try to weave the insights from your research into the discussion naturally.

Your goal should be to demonstrate that not only do you have the skills and experience to succeed in a job, but you're excited about getting started. Showing a sincere interest in a company's recent activities and the industry that it operates in can be a great way to make yourself stand out. Hiring managers are more likely to make an offer to someone who walks through the door well prepared and showing enthusiasm for tackling the challenges ahead.

Professional education is a powerful way to ensure you confidently rise to the occasion at your next interview. New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offers free webinars that will provide you with valuable tips for pursuing the next step in your career. Courses in the Center for Leadership and Development will give you a deep dive into the skills you need to pursue your next opportunity.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172497/title/Middle-Management:-Responsibilities,-Leadership-Best-Practices-and-New-Workplace-TrendsMiddle Management: Responsibilities, Leadership Best Practices and New Workplace TrendsFri, 9 Mar 2018 10:15:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172497/title/Middle-Management:-Responsibilities,-Leadership-Best-Practices-and-New-Workplace-Trends
In a workforce with a hierarchical structure, the leadership positions between senior executives and more junior staff are usually considered middle management. But depending on the industry or exact organization, the role of middle managers can seem unclear and ill-defined. This is beginning to change as new ideas around workforce hierarchy are tested and implemented in companies large or small.

What is middle management?

The org. chart of a typical corporation generally has three levels of management, with executives at the top and direct supervisors or team leaders at the bottom. Between these two layers are middle managers, who may also have titles like "general manager," "branch manager," "department manager" or something similar. In any case, middle management is usually responsible for designing and implementing operating processes for teams of staff members. This includes workflows and chains of communication among members of the same team as well as between different teams or departments.

The key differentiator between middle managers and direct supervisors is the ultimate objective of each. While lower-level direct supervisors or line managers should have a clear set of specific goals toward which they guide their teams, middle management is often beholden to broader targets. Moreover, the ways in which middle managers achieve those less specific targets are not as clearly defined, at least until the middle managers themselves put the right systems in place to make them happen.

Middle management challenges

Middle managers are often maligned within their organization, while the role itself is often subject to criticism in general. For instance, a survey of some 320,000 employees at various corporate organizations conducted by the Harvard Business Review asked people in any role to rank how engaged and committed they were to their work. Researchers found that among those who ranked their satisfaction with their work in the bottom 5 percent of survey responses, most were middle managers.

Why could this be? The ambiguity of most middle management positions could be partly to blame. Perhaps as a result of performance goals that are not always well-defined, middle managers tend to fall victim to layoffs and downsizing more often than those above or below them in the corporate hierarchy.

Therefore, the deck would appear to be stacked against the success of most people considered middle managers. But the Harvard Business Review also pointed out that these positions are crucial to the operational efficiency of most organizations.

Better middle managers make for better teams and ultimately more successful companies.

Developing better middle managers

Some companies have tried to solve the middle management problem by just eliminating these roles entirely, often without success. Google, for example, attempted to flatten its corporate structure in its early years by eliminating its engineering management team, equivalent to middle management. Instead of fostering productivity and collaboration, though, it just made for more work and confusion all around. According to HBR, Google co-founder and chief executive Larry Page found himself suddenly swamped with questions from engineers that he couldn't answer, as well as administrative duties like expense reporting that he was not cut out for. The "experiment" of removing middle managers lasted mere months at Google.

Instead, researchers like Ethan Mollick, a management professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, advocate a more creative approach to retooling middle management. Mollick wanted to prove through research that middle managers could play a direct role in the success of a company, and apply those findings more broadly.

As a case study of sorts for middle management success, Mollick took a deep dive into the video game industry. Video games are a multi-billion-dollar industry today, and organizations combine several advanced knowledge specialties like art, computer science and marketing. After analyzing the revenue of 395 game studios over 12 years, Mollick found that a company's middle management served as a better predictor of success than its creative team or executives.

"Even in a young industry that rewards creative and innovative products, innovative roles explain far less variation in firm performance than do managers," Mollick wrote as part of his findings. "High-performing innovators alone are not enough to generate performance variation; rather, it is the role of individual managers to integrate and coordinate the innovative work of others."

Based on this research, it's clear that businesses will benefit from greater investment in their middle managers. That extends not only to providing the right compensation, but also giving them the time and resources they need to see projects through. This also requires fostering talented managers for these mid-level roles, rather than treating middle management as just a pit stop on the way to the C-suite.

Middle management is subject to change like any other general job category. But as our understanding of better management practices keeps developing, more businesses are finding success in strategies to retain great leaders at every level of the organization.

Here’s the good news — network engineers are in high demand. Companies are investing in newer, faster technology and mobile networks every day, increasing the need for highly trained network engineers.

Network engineering is a fast-growing occupation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that network engineer employment is projected to grow 6 percent from 2016 to 2026, above average for all occupations.

What Is a Network Engineer?

As a network engineer, you’re responsible for the foundation of an organization’s IT system (and by default, the entire organization).

While network technicians or IT administrators assist with daily IT and troubleshooting tasks, network engineers take on the high-level challenge of designing and improving networks.

Depending on the company, you’ll be creating and implementing physical and wireless networks, troubleshooting issues and researching and integrating new technologies. Here are a few more networking career highlights:

Experience level: Most network engineers have 5-10 years of experience.

How to Become a Network Engineer

If you’re looking to break into the field of network engineering, here’s how to get started.

Get Your Bachelor’s Degree

Companies typically require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems or computer engineering. Depending on the role, some organizations also ask that you earn a master’s in business administration (MBA) or computer science before applying.

Earn Relevant IT Experience

A bachelor’s or master’s degree will get your foot in the door. But it’s not enough. Learning on-the-job IT skills are critical to becoming a network engineer.

First, you need to build a networking foundation. A help desk or entry-level IT support role is a great way to develop fundamental, real-world IT skills.

Get creative when choosing places to gain experience. Volunteer for small businesses or friends. Try an internship. Build your own PC or full stack networking project. You’ll gain networking skills, expand your portfolio of projects and you’ll have something to talk about in job interviews.

Once you’ve got the basic IT skills down, look for more relevant networking positions. Working as a junior network engineer or network analyst can help you gain networking experience. You’ll be assisting senior engineers with networking tasks, and it’s a great way to build your skill set.

Maximize the experience in every role. Work on as many different projects as you can. Volunteer to take on new tasks. Make connections with partner engineers or vendors. You’ll be more well-rounded, and it will help you narrow down your specialization.

Identify the Networking Engineering Path You Want

Once you’ve gained entry-level IT experience, you need to identify your career path. Networking engineering careers and positions vary widely depending on the industry, company and technology.

If you’re just starting out, here’s a list of some of the networking jobs available:

Network Specialist

Network Administrator

Network Technician

Network Analyst

Network Manager

Network Engineer

Network Solutions Architect

Specialize Your Networking Role

You may specialize even further in the course of your networking career. Roles range from cloud and security specializations, such as a network security specialist or cloud networking architect, to wireless and VoIP concentrations as a wireless networking quality assurance or VoIP engineer.

You could also choose to dabble in a little bit of everything as a full stack network engineer (FSNE).

Networks are complicated. Rather than hiring people to focus on each area of IT, companies are increasingly looking for professionals with cross-functional skills. Full stack network engineers are trained in all areas of IT from routing, wireless, security, data center, automation, cloud and VoIP.

Training is more difficult for FSNEs. There isn’t a clear-cut path or certification. Instead of using your time to specialize in one area, try different roles and projects to round out your skill set.

If you’re not sure what route you want to take, here are two strategies to help you define your path.

Reach out to other network engineers for advice. Talk about your career aspirations with your manager or a mentor. They may be able to help you transition into more networking roles.

Research senior-level network engineer jobs. Look at the job postings that interest you. What skills and requirements are companies looking for? Any certifications or courses? Researching jobs can help you identify interests and skill gaps you can improve upon.

Supplement Your Skills With Networking Training and Courses

Training courses and IT certifications are a great way to supplement on-the-job training.

Cisco is one of the more popular training options. Courses include the theory of computer networking, test practical knowledge and teach you how to perform networking tasks. Here are the core Cisco networking certifications:

A great IT project will fail if it’s poorly communicated. Network engineers can’t manage teams without leadership skills. Building optimized networks is impossible without creative problem-solving.

Luckily, soft skills can be learned. A recent study by Boston College, Harvard University and the University of Michigan found that soft skills training boost productivity and retention by 12 percent, and can deliver a 250 percent return on investment in productivity.

Get Started on Your Network Engineering Career With New Horizons

Network engineering is an exciting, challenging field. But you can’t get there on your own. Whether you’re looking for an IT certification or just want to take a few networking courses, New Horizons training can help you develop networking skills to boost your career.

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date network training available. With flexible self-paced or instructor-led training options, you have access to real experts and resources to confidently advance your networking career in no time.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172428/title/Why-cloud-based-productivity-is-a-new-standard-of-workplace-efficiencyWhy cloud-based productivity is a new standard of workplace efficiencyWed, 7 Mar 2018 17:25:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172428/title/Why-cloud-based-productivity-is-a-new-standard-of-workplace-efficiency
The widespread adoption of cloud computing solutions transformed the ways businesses address major questions about logistics, marketing and organizational growth. However, cloud-based productivity software has also made a huge impact on how teams handle a variety of daily tasks. The right combination of tools and processes can streamline operations and boost long-term outcomes.

Capturing the opportunities presented by cloud-based software calls for a combination of expertise in the relevant programs and leadership skills. With a deep understanding of how to apply new tools to essential processes, managers can streamline the path toward accomplishing major objectives. Cloud-based productivity suites have established new standards for efficiency, and teams will gain an advantage by staying in step with the latest advances.

How cloud-based productivity software increases efficiency

"A cloud-based productivity suite may be one way to gain an edge."

Across all industries, companies now face a world of globalized connections and ever-accelerating speed. Leaders must seek out every opportunity to improve how their teams function if they are to maintain a strong competitive position and continue to expand. Making strategic use of a cloud-based productivity suite may be one way to gain an edge.

Linking routine tasks to the cloud can help companies become leaner and more effective in a variety of ways, beginning with cutting down on the demands for in-house information technology. A broad array of tasks that would otherwise call for IT solutions within the organization can instead be outsourced to a software-as-a-service provider. These responsibilities include running updates and maintaining strict security and backup protocols to keep data safe even as a business scales up.

While cutting back on the investment in resource and labor-intensive infrastructure, a cloud strategy also brings direct benefits for teams. Employees can gain immediate access to their work remotely and more easily collaborate with one another, no matter their physical locations. Having simple, safe options for sharing documents, spreadsheets and presentations can be a major asset for keeping everyone involved in a project on the same page and completing crucial tasks on schedule.

Maximizing the value of a productivity suite

In this data-driven business world, it's vital for every part of an organization to have plenty of information at its disposal and be prepared to shift direction as necessary. Pulling quantitative findings from multiple sources can reveal untapped chances for a company to empower workers and take on new challenges. Cloud-based productivity suites make it easier to visualize key metrics and generate wiser plans accordingly.

Leaders are positioned to turn the technical power of these software tools into strategic action. With powerful tools in place, they can have more visibility into how workers are fulfilling their responsibilities and take steps to ensure they reach crucial milestones. Meetings, emails and other communications can be focused on the issues that really matter.

Every team has an important role to play in keeping a business moving forward and growing. With the ability to collect and analyze extensive data, leaders have a clear perspective on how the operations under their purview are playing into the big picture and where they may need to make a change. Meanwhile, cloud computing offers enhanced flexibility for workflows, so employees can readily shift their focus in line with changes in organizational priorities and market conditions.

Deploying cloud-based productivity software can give a business a leg up.

Taking the lead in efficient operations

To put a cloud-based productivity suite like Office 365 into action, an administrator must first handle provisioning and configuration, laying out the organization and roles that will define how the tools are implemented. Within the business they must establish tenants, creating containers for specific areas of the business. These tenants include all applicable users, custom domains, settings and subscriptions to particular applications.

Successfully adopting cloud-based productivity tools is a meaningful step forward, but it still only goes so far. Leaders and workers need a robust understanding of how to harness the vast capabilities of a software suite and to stay current on the latest features and security measures. Specialized training can be a pivotal factor determining whether a team makes full use of software and remains at the forefront of business initiatives.

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offers the educational resources to optimize the use of these powerful applications. Professionals can attend a free webinar to learn some of the best tips and tricks for provisioning Office 365, including managing tenancy to fit the unique needs of a company. A full course in the software suite qualifies students for positions as SaaS or cloud applications administrators by providing a deep grounding in how to manage every function of a business from a single portal, maximizing efficiency with the versatile power of cloud computing.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172159/title/Navigating-generational-gaps-in-the-IT-workforceNavigating generational gaps in the IT workforceWed, 28 Feb 2018 14:14:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40172159/title/Navigating-generational-gaps-in-the-IT-workforce
Today's businesses rely heavily on information technology departments that run smoothly and align closely with the needs of the rest of the organization. Leadership and workers need to be on the same page when setting objectives, completing projects and planning for future growth. As time passes, however, an inevitable challenge for maintaining cohesion has arisen in many workplaces.

In the first quarter of 2015, the number of millennials in the workforce, defined as people born between 1981 and 1997, surpassed baby boomers for the first time, according to Pew Research Center. Numerous IT departments have seen the development of a generation gap as baby boomer leaders find themselves working with a staff made up largely of millennials. If left unaddressed, an age difference between management and workers can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiency.

For professionals who lead IT departments or hope to do so, a sound understanding of how to work together across generation gaps is essential.

Understand how the needs of millennials differ

Cooperating effectively starts with considering how younger and older workers differ in what they want and expect out of their jobs. Computer World explained that millennials tend to take a big-picture perspective on their work, not content to stay in just one area. Rather, they seek to understand how their daily tasks in IT are contributing to an organization as a whole and are interested in connecting directly with other departments.

Millennials tend to be used to more freedom and flexibility than their older peers, feeling that good ideas should be welcomed regardless of where someone stands in the corporate hierarchy. With the resources readily available to work remotely, they also commonly prefer to step away from the traditional office environment whenever possible. Millennials are often accustomed to collaborating more extensively than the previous generation, expecting concise and direct feedback more frequently than baby boomers. Keeping the lines of communication open may ensure they stay on-track to accomplish their goals.

Avoid over-generalizations

"Examine your own assumptions."

While adjusting to your place in a changing workforce, it's vital to examine your own assumptions. As The New York Times pointed out, your biases could be the reason for conflicts or low morale, even if you don't realize it. Try to avoid assuming that any particular employee will fit the conventional wisdom about an entire generation, and strive to treat each individual as a professional who deserves respect.

The need to overcome assumptions goes both ways. Millennials may demonstrate that they are hardier in the face of tough situations and more self-reliant than their older managers expect. Meanwhile, baby boomers can demonstrate a willingness to embrace change, accepting that new business problems call for fresh approaches and that creative ideas can lead to streamlined processes.

Develop a unified vision

To bring people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences together, it's crucial for a department to have a shared mission. Leaders can break down the barriers between millennials and baby boomers by rallying everyone behind a shared set of objectives. Laying out a clear strategy while accepting suggestions from everyone brings a team together.

IT encounters a constant string of technical and business problems with a mandate to keep their organization ready to take on future challenges. Making connections between the values of older and younger employees and celebrating your collective accomplishments goes a long way toward building a cohesive team. By welcoming change, management can harness the expertise, energy and rule-breaking attitudes of younger employees to accomplish great things.

Continue to learn new skills

Staying relevant in the ever-changing world of IT requires always learning how to use and optimize new technologies. For leaders, it's just as important to think about how you will continue working with new people over the years to come. For both technical skills and professional development, an advanced education can be a major asset.

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers offer a range of courses and certifications designed to keep IT professionals on the cutting edge. In addition, the Center for Leadership and Development instructs students in the techniques they require to achieve lasting success in management roles. Training in IT Service Management offers professionals a grounding in key principles, such as IT service lifecycles, best practices, and implementing an effective IT strategy.

Business intelligence and big data are top priorities for businesses in 2018. Companies depend on databases to provide insights that drive critical business decisions – which means SQL Server skills are in high demand.

One of the best ways to demonstrate your SQL Server knowledge and secure a well-paying position is by pursuing a SQL Server certification path. Possessing SQL Server certifications proves you can develop and maintain complex database and information solutions, making you a valuable asset to employers.

Benefits of SQL Server Certifications

SQL Server certifications are a key differentiator for candidates seeking roles in database development, administration or analysis. Employers view certifications as tangible proof of your skills and dedication to the field.

Earning certifications will help you climb the corporate ladder and earn higher-paying jobs faster than your colleagues. Consider these average salaries in the United States:

If you have little to no experience, the MTA certification is a good place to start. The MTA: Database Fundamentals certification covers introductory knowledge and skills related to databases, including SQL Server.

You don’t need prior job experience to earn this certification, but a baseline understanding of relevant database technologies is recommended.

Earning this certification demonstrates your skills with database installation, configuration, maintenance and provisioning. It qualifies you for a position as an architect, development lead or infrastructure specialist.

If you don’t feel you possess foundational IT skills, you can pursue one or more MTA certifications first to prepare you for the MCSA-level exam. If you already have basic experience working with databases, you can skip the MTA certification.

If you’re interested in becoming a BI developer, this certification reinforces your extract, transform, load (ETL) and data warehouse skills. It also proves you have the knowledge to implement BI solutions using online analytical processing (OLAP) cubes and multidimensional and tabular data models.

This expert-level certification proves you have advanced skills in SQL administration, building enterprise-level data solutions and managing data in both on-premises and cloud environments.

Earning your MCSE: Data Management and Analytics certification qualifies you for a role as a database analyst, database designer or business intelligence analyst.

The certification requires you to hold a MCSA certification and pass an elective exam. There are 12 MCSE elective exams to choose from, covering a range of cloud, big data analytics and business intelligence topics.

To maintain this certification, you are required to pass an additional elective exam each year. Adding each new exam to your résumé validates your commitment to staying current on new technologies to potential employers.

Preparing for SQL Server Certifications

SQL is a universal coding language, which means it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Pursuing a SQL Server certification path will help you acquire valuable skills that will stay relevant for years to come.

As the world’s largest independent IT training company, New Horizons offers comprehensive SQL server training courses at every expertise level to help you prepare for the Microsoft certification exams.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171873/title/3-areas-where-IT-and-Ops-desperately-need-each-other3 areas where IT and Ops desperately need each otherFri, 23 Feb 2018 14:14:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171873/title/3-areas-where-IT-and-Ops-desperately-need-each-other
The growing DevOps movement is pushing businesses to bring their development and operations teams together to drive efficiency. In practice, this means lots of disruption. These teams have had vastly divergent priorities in the past, with varied skill sets and cultural expectations also presenting a barrier to alignment. However, dev and ops teams need each other if they are going to keep up with the IT challenges dominating the market today.

Businesses are being pressured to become more responsive to ever-shifting customer and market demands. While this certainly pushes enterprise users to figure out how they can adjust their processes, much of the burden falls on IT. The reason is simple: Many companies are in the process of rebuilding their operations around digital transformation. Becoming responsive as a business depends on getting users data in a timely fashion and in line with their operations. As a result, IT teams are scrambling to implement continuous integration, create more proprietary apps and serve as brokers for complex cloud configuration.

"Dev and ops teams need each other if they are going to keep up with today's IT challenges."

This complex operating ecosystem is pushing dev and ops teams together, a trend that is particularly clear in three key areas:

1. Application release managementGetting apps into production has long been a nightmarish process, fraught with bugs, tedious manual tasks, endless testing and end-user frustration. Most companies can't tolerate the longstanding problems that have come with application release cycles. In the age of continuous integration, organizations need to automate manual processes, minimize errors, build testing into the development cycle and ensure a seamless end-user experience. Without DevOps, businesses aren't achieving this vision.

TechBeacon recently reported on data from the "Trends in DevOps, Continuous Delivery & Application Release Automation," study. The news source was given exclusive pre-publication access to the raw data, and the information told a harsh story about the state of enterprise release management.

Approximately 62 percent of those polled said they occasionally experience production release problems.

Another 15 percent of respondents cited release issues as frequent.

Just 2 percent said they don't run into difficulties getting software into production.

The release management problem can't be solved with automation alone. The cultural and technical changes that come with DevOps are needed to optimize and streamline release processes.

2. CybersecurityProtecting data is one area where development and operations teams need to align their activities. When apps, software systems or databases are developed with vulnerabilities, they create a weakness that can escalate quickly. In response, operations teams are left scrambling to patch systems and eliminate the vulnerability, something that often relies on collaboration with the dev team to fix any broken code. As such, keeping data safe already relies on coordination between the teams, and with cyberattacks escalating, the groups need to get closer together to maximize success.

The focus on security when establishing DevOps is already escalating. A Sonatype study found that approximately 58 percent of organizations that boast mature DevOps programs have automated their security testing. When looking at the entire survey base for the study, just 39 percent of respondents have automated security processes. What's more, security automation is becoming more pervasive across the DevOps cycle, with 43 percent using it during development, 60 percent in testing and 51 percent for production.

Increased complexity is making DevOps a necessity.

3. Database release processesThis one is more an emerging area for DevOps use, but it could prove essential. A DB Maestro study found that a growing number of organizations are making a move to implement DevOps strategies within their database teams. At this point, the average database administrator spends 22 percent of all work time deploying database changes. Even if DBAs aren't dealing with continuous delivery, they still have to handle plenty of changes. When these processes are siloed among DBAs who are scrambling to align coding and configuration elements, the problem can escalate quickly.

The study found that 28 percent of respondents have experienced a database crash within the month prior to the survey. Aligning development and operations teams can reduce the likelihood of error and improve responsiveness when problems arise.

It's time for IT and DevOps teams to get on the same page, but that can seem like a daunting task. IT leaders who want to smooth the way may want to consider strategic training across the tech team. New Horizons can offer a variety of course models, giving you the flexibility you need to get your IT department ready for DevOps in a convenient, cost-efficient way.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171871/title/What-is-driving-DevOps-investments?What is driving DevOps investments?Fri, 23 Feb 2018 12:55:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171871/title/What-is-driving-DevOps-investments?
DevOps isn't just the latest craze to hit the software development world. While agile, Scrum, Kanban and similar project methodologies have disrupted the development space, DevOps is a bit different. It isn't a way to organize a project. It's an organizational structure that shifts cultural roles within the IT department and disrupts the longstanding norms in the industry.

In simplest terms, DevOps focuses on bringing development and operations professionals into shared roles and responsibilities. In essence, instead of having devs create apps and ops figure out how to make them work, both teams take shared responsibility for aligning these processes from a project's inception to its completion.

"DevOps shifts cultural roles within the IT department and disrupts the longstanding norms in the industry."

This new way of approaching development exists beneath the surface of a project management methodology, informing decisions and strategies. DevOps is also gaining momentum quickly. With enterprise IT departments adopting DevOps in a hurry, IT pros must consider training and skills development to stay ahead.

The state of the DevOps marketThere is a general consensus that the DevOps market is going to rise quickly as more businesses invest in solutions that help them align development and operations teams. Both KBV Research and Allied Market Research anticipate significant expansion in the global DevOps market heading into 2023. In separate studies, the firms evaluated the DevOps market from 2017 through 2023 and came to startlingly similar conclusions.

KBV Research predicted a total compound annual growth rate of 18 percent in the global DevOps market during the period of the study. This would lead to a market valuation of $8.8 billion by 2023.

Allied Market Research came to a similar but more bullish conclusion, predicting a CAGR of 18.7 percent for the period and a market value $9.4 billion in 2023.

The DevOps movement isn't going anywhere, and it's time for IT pros to respond.

How is DevOps being used?DevOps offers organizations an opportunity to glean a variety of operational benefits. The can include:

Accelerating application development timelines.

Reducing the help desk burden by ensuring apps are more stable at release.

Ensuring testing is completed alongside development to eliminate complex, large-batch tests that slow projects to a crawl.

Optimizing resource use by eliminating redundant or unnecessary work.

As IT departments increasingly rely on hybridized computing environments, they need these benefits to keep up. In most cases, relying on cloud apps, infrastructure and platforms is pushing organizations to make sure their traditional IT systems can keep up with the pace set forth in the cloud. This means more automation, faster release cycles and greater responsiveness when demand for change arises.

These requirements shine through in Allied Market Research's findings pertaining to key drivers in the DevOps market. The study found that companies are turning to DevOps for a few key reasons:

They need to improve app lifecycle management.

They are contending with increased use of automation both within software systems and for business processes.

They are trying to keep up with incredible demands for efficiency across a variety of operations.

In essence, businesses are ramping up their use of process management and automation in order to handle the requirements of today's digital world. As the corporate side of the company adapts to more demanding customers that want responsive, flexible service models, IT needs to be able to adjust at the same pace as the rest of the organization. Traditional development tactics can't keep up with these demands. DevOps can.

DevOps represents a major disruption to the IT status quo.

Training to consider in light of DevOps' riseOne of the challenges organizations face is that DevOps requires so much cultural change. You can't just adopt a new software platform and do some training. Instead, you need to rebuild project management frameworks, redefine work roles, create new job descriptions and restructure teams. A successful DevOps migration begins with strong leadership.

This isn't to say that technology training isn't relevant to DevOps leaders - focusing on skills development in the cloud and big data, for example, can be handy. However, the biggest challenges come in changing how IT teams communicate and operate. With that in mind, individuals who want to get ahead in DevOps may want to focus on leadership and management training.

At the New Horizons Center for Leadership and Development, we offer a full suite of courses on project management, business analysis, IT service management and a variety of other disciplines that can come together to inform DevOps initiatives. Don't let the scope of DevOps hold you back. Contact us today and we can help you identify the right courses for either your specific career goals or your business' IT department.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171831/title/What-is-emotional-intelligence,-and-why-is-it-a-crucial-part-of-professional-development?What is emotional intelligence, and why is it a crucial part of professional development?Thu, 22 Feb 2018 17:26:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171831/title/What-is-emotional-intelligence,-and-why-is-it-a-crucial-part-of-professional-development?
Maximizing your effectiveness in the workplace requires an array of skills and aptitudes. Good managers are knowledgeable about their industries, skilled at solving problems, strategic in their long-term planning and decisive in complex situations. While technical ability can be indispensable, it's important to realize how soft skills contribute to all these outcomes.

Knowing how to work productively with other people is crucial to achieving professional success and continuing to grow over time. Consequently, experts in business and leadership have been increasingly interested in exploring the concept of emotional intelligence over recent years. By understanding the way you and others feel and applying your skills in managing emotions, you may pave the way toward the next steps in your career.

Defining emotional intelligence

"EI is understanding your own feelings and those of the people you interact with."

Over the years, experts have presented various models of how emotional intelligence works, focusing on whether it is best understood as a personal trait, a set of skills or a combination of both. According to the ability model, EI is the ability to understand your own feelings and those of the people you interact with, adjusting your thinking and behavior accordingly. That means people with high levels of EI can perceive and solve problems involving emotions more effectively than others.

Science journalist and "Emotional Intelligence" author Daniel Goleman wrote in Harvard Business Review about the attributes that make a good leader. He cited EI as an essential factor, breaking the capacity down into five key components:

Self-awareness is your knowledge of your personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as your impact on other people.

Self-regulation is your ability to demonstrate your emotions in a controlled way appropriate to the circumstances.

Social skill is about managing relationships and convincing others to move in the same direction.

Empathy is being sensitive to people's emotional reactions.

Internal motivation is your innate drive to act even without external rewards.

A person may exhibit his or her deep understanding of feelings and their power in many different ways. Writing in Psychology Today, University of New Hampshire professor of psychology Dr. John D. Mayer gave the example that certain individuals may be quicker to realize when someone else has become agitated or angry and take steps to defuse the situation.

Why feelings matter in the office

Emotionally intelligent people may exhibit their abilities in a variety of ways in the office. In a column for Inc., EI specialist Travis Bradberry wrote that emotionally intelligent individuals tend to have a nuanced perspective on how people feel, with a richer vocabulary for describing those feelings with precision. As empathetic people, they tend to feel driven to learn more about others, gaining insights that can help in pushing toward their goals.

Being good at managing your emotions and those of the people you work with can make a big difference in how well you do your job. Since it frequently takes extensive teamwork and clear communication to complete projects and advance a business's objectives, a focus on EI can bring benefits on both an individual and an organizational level.

Relating to workers and engaging with them are strong leadership qualities that make it possible to inspire a team to put in extra effort. Managers with high EI pay attention to the needs of workers, resolve conflicts and keep everyone on track toward shared goals. That added drive to pull together and consistently hit required milestones may be the determining factor that empowers critical initiatives.

Emotional intelligence leads to more effective teamwork and problem-solving.

How to cultivate emotional intelligence

Professionals can build on their emotional awareness and learn strategies for managing feelings effectively. One way to strengthen your EI is by taking a course that provides exposure to the relevant theories and hands-on practice. Collaborating with others in the classroom can be a valuable means of learning how to work closely with a team, making feelings a strength even under high-pressure conditions.

Real-world situations can also bring many opportunities to enhance your EI. Fast Company pointed out that heading into unfamiliar conditions is often the best strategy for developing soft skills, including emotional awareness. By taking risks, you find out how to adapt to changing circumstances, rising to the occasion of creatively solving problems with greater self-confidence.

Microsoft Azure is the public cloud of choice for businesses of all sizes – and for good reason. Azure offers the largest network of data centers, secure private connections and storage solutions of any cloud provider. In fact, 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on the Microsoft cloud.

Whether you’re growing your career in DevOps, system administration or app development, learning Azure gives you the skills to develop and maintain crucial cloud services that keep your business ahead of the curve.

The Skills You Need to Learn Azure

Azure is known for being user-friendly, but it’s helpful to understand some related technologies before you dive head-first into a new platform. Here are some skills that will help you learn Azure:

Cloud computing: You should understand how core services like networking, databases, servers and software function in the cloud. Previous experience working with another cloud platform like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Google Cloud will give you skills that transition to Azure.

Microsoft knowledge: Experience using products like Office 365 and PowerShell will help you understand how these services integrate with Azure.

Programming: If you plan on developing applications in Azure, knowledge of open-source frameworks like ASP.NET and programming languages like SQL Server, HTML5 and JavaScript will help you get ahead.

How to Learn Azure

These resources will help you learn the foundations of Microsoft Azure and prepare you to apply Azure skills in your profession.

Learning-as-a-Service

You can’t master Azure and cloud administration in just a few days. You need ongoing training, tools and resources to guide you through every new cloud obstacle and update.

Choose from three professional tracks — Fundamentals, Core and Advanced — to accelerate your career in Azure. With the Microsoft Azure Professional Track, you’ll be on your way to becoming a seasoned Azure pro and get the most out of your IT investment.

Beyond learning the fundamentals of Azure, core workload, networking and key security features, Azure learning-as-a-service also equips you with the skills to:

Scale storage without spending a fortune

Enable remote access while protecting business data

Confidently protect your cloud business

Handle unexpected cloud challenges

And much more

As the global leader in IT training solutions, New Horizons training is designed to meet the demands and needs of students, departments and enterprise organizations.

Azure learning-as-a-service is the most flexible way to learn Azure — perfect for any busy IT professional. By choosing this Microsoft-authorized training program, you’ll receive the most up-to-date and robust Azure training available.

This associate-level certification shows you have the knowledge to architect, implement and maintain complex cloud-enabled Linux solutions that use Azure open-source capabilities. It also shows you have Linux system administration skills.

MCSA: Web Applications

This certification proves you are capable of creating and deploying modern web applications and services. Earning your MCSA: Web Applications certification qualifies you for a mid-level position as a web developer or web administrator.

Whether you want to pursue a certification or enhance your résumé, comprehensive Azure training from New Horizons will give you the skills to become an Azure expert. New Horizons offers Azure training for everyone, from novice IT professionals to experienced Azure developers.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171572/title/5-project-management-methodologies-and-their-value5 project management methodologies and their valueFri, 16 Feb 2018 13:58:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171572/title/5-project-management-methodologies-and-their-value
Aspiring project managers have a lot to think about, and how to specialize is one of the most vital considerations. There are vital broad industry certifications, such as from the Project Management Institute, that will recognize an individual's knowledge and skill. However, different organizations tend to use varied methodologies within their projects and will often look for recruits who have skills in a specialized segment. In fact, industry expert Courtney Kirschbaum told CIO magazine that it is increasingly standard for PM professionals to have more than one formal credential.

You'll want to align the project management specialization you choose with where or how you want to work. With that in mind, here's a look at five common PM certifications and how they can offer value.

1. PRINCE2The PRINCE2 methodology focuses on seven core principles that are meant to serve as guideline for any project. They are:

Continuing business justification

Learning from prior projects

Clear roles and responsibilities

Manage in stages

Manage by exception

Product focus

Tailor to your specific environment

Bytestart reported that these principles come together to create a framework for projects by helping PMs establish clear priorities across the project and adapt to changing needs over time. Generally speaking, PRINCE2 is a broad PM methodology that can apply to a variety of project types in a wide range of industries.

2. AgileAgile is built around the idea of tightly segmenting a project into small, ultra-focused sprints that can be completed fairly quickly. The theory is that by simplifying and streamlining each set of tasks in a project, users can stay better focused and more on target than they would if they had to deal with a long, extended cycle. CIO magazine explained that agile got its start in the software development sector, but has begun to gain momentum in a diverse array of sectors due to its ability to foster quality and continuous improvement.

3. Scrum

"Many project management methodologies cross multiple disciplines."

In many ways, Scrum is designed around similar philosophies to agile, except that Scrum will put a major emphasis on giving team members a degree of freedom within the broad framework of the project. In fact, Scrum is typically described as a framework, not a methodology, because it focuses on the creation of clear teams and roles for those teams. From there, the project can be managed based on the specific demands of those groups, with a focus on collaboration at the center.

Like agile, Scrum rose as a way to drive speed and efficiency in software development, but is now used in a variety of settings.

4. KanbanToyota, yes, the automotive industry giant, gave Kanban its start. Project Manager reported that Kanban stems from the Japanese word for billboard and is built around a central board where different tasks in a project are ordered as their own cards on the sign. This lets managers easily prioritize and shift tasks, and the whole team can see the big picture visually. Kanban rose in a highly specific manufacturing environment, but is now popular in many sectors.

5. Six SigmaSix Sigma is built around five major project goals: define, measure. analyze, improve and control. The methodology aims to structure projects in such a way that they go through all five of these phases in order to accurately identify the needs of the initiative and provide clarity and governance in working toward the end goal. iSix Sigma explained that the system is particularly useful for troubleshooting and in product development.

Many project management methodologies cross multiple disciplines and, in some cases, organizations don't run one or another strictly, but instead pick and choose different strategies based on their specific demands. Aspiring PMs must carefully consider how they specialize and possibly take a broad approach to certifications. New Horizons can help. Our Center for Leadership and Development includes course curricula to cover a variety of project management skills, offering a one-stop shop for professionals hoping to get ahead of the competition and advance their careers to another level.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/26/title/7-IT-Roles-Every-Modern-Company-Needs-to-Stay-Competitive7 IT Roles Every Modern Company Needs to Stay CompetitiveFri, 9 Feb 2018 17:18:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/26/title/7-IT-Roles-Every-Modern-Company-Needs-to-Stay-Competitive

Your IT team is the backbone of your organization — keeping employees productive and information available. But IT roles are also some of the hardest jobs to fill.

From daily user support to complex systems integration, IT drives your business forward. And because technology changes constantly, you need well-equipped IT staff to meet the growing demands of a mobile-first consumer base and outpace the competition.

But how do you know which IT roles you need to stay competitive?

Top IT Roles You Need to Hire

Being an expert in everything is impossible. IT is an expansive industry with countless niches and specialties. You don’t just need IT support — you need a well-rounded team of IT professionals who can strategically implement technology to carry out your vision.

From help desk management, maintenance and security to development and data mining, modern businesses require sophisticated, targeted IT roles to scale and grow.

In 2017, 75 percent of CIOs planned to increase investments in information technology, and that figure is expected to grow in 2018.

Here are the seven critical IT roles to focus your hiring efforts on this year:

Hardware Technician

Hardware technicians repair and manage servers and computers. They’re responsible for a wide range of computer and network maintenance including installation, upgrades, troubleshooting, security and support to maintain high-quality networks and computer systems.

Help Desk Analyst and Help Desk Support

Help desk analysts are the most visible IT roles in a company. They’re the frontline of IT support — answering, troubleshooting and resolving technical issues to keep employees productive and customers happy.

Help desk analysts are the gatekeepers who identify and escalate any immediate problems or security threats. Depending on your needs, they may also troubleshoot more complex systems and applications.

Network Administrator/Engineer

While they both focus on networks, network administrators and engineers have slightly different roles. Network engineers focus on designing and developing networks, while administrators maintain them.

Network administrators and engineers have a clear understanding of your organization’s IT structure and network needs. They not only maintain and monitor networks, but also design them to support future growth. Typical responsibilities include designing and implementing physical and wireless networks, ensuring performance and integrating new technologies.

Experience: 2-5+ yearsSalary Range: $55,000-$70,000Suggested Training: There is a range of training courses and certifications available depending on your preferred IT vendor and needs:

Business Analyst

Business analysts are the link between business people and IT teams in an organization. They leverage data, processes and information to solve business problems and ensure IT projects run smoothly.

While the specific deliverables vary depending on your organization’s needs, business analysts are responsible for reviewing processes and procedures, identifying and documenting improvements and sharing them effectively across an organization.

For example, they may help implement new IT solutions or create an IT framework to scale your business. They’ll also analyze your current IT and business environment to identify new opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

IT Project Manager

They bridge the gap between vision and execution, breaking down high-level strategies into actionable steps. IT project managers coordinate across departments to ensure projects align with business goals. They oversee every aspect from budget and scope to task management.

In addition to project management skills and certifications, IT project managers need an understanding of technical platforms and methodologies relevant to your organization.

Manager of Systems Engineering

IT systems are no longer self-contained. They’re robust, complex to manage and increasingly reliant on third-party vendors, applications and cloud services providers. That’s where a great systems engineering manager provides value.

Systems engineering managers oversee IT systems and infrastructure. They monitor performance, make recommendations and work with IT teams and project managers to achieve department goals. They also manage development systems designs and architecture.

IT Director, Vice President, CIO/CTO

Aligning IT with business value is challenging. IT teams and executive leadership often operate in separate silos, missing opportunities to reduce costs, maximize efficiency and achieve business goals.

The IT director bridges that gap.

Typically the most senior IT role in the company, IT directors, vice presidents or chief technology officers lead your IT strategy and report directly to the CEO.

The IT director ensures that IT and computer systems support your business goals. While their responsibilities vary depending on the organization, they typically delegate daily tasks to IT managers and focus on high-level IT strategy and growth.

In high-profile director and CIO positions, soft skills matter — sometimes even more than technical certifications. A Career Builder survey found that 71 percent of HR professionals and hiring managers valued emotional intelligence over IQs in employees. Leaders with high emotional intelligence tend to handle pressure better, make more thoughtful, thorough decisions and successfully lead large teams.

Know your business goals. It sounds simple. But after reviewing hundreds of résumés, your original hiring objectives can get lost. Ask: Why are you hiring this position? Measure each candidate against these objectives and other cultural criteria. Your business goals should drive your IT strategy and the technical roles you hire.

Evaluate experience and training. IT training and certifications show the candidate has a solid technical foundation and strong work ethic. It’s proof they have the skills to perform the job.

Grow from within. Promoting employees is a win-win for them and your organization. It boosts retention, increases job satisfaction and saves on hiring costs. IT training courses are a great way to train employees for new roles.

Develop Your IT Team with New Horizons Training Courses

IT training helps you develop and hire the right IT roles for your organization. But the suggested training courses above are only a start. There are countless paths and training opportunities to develop the right IT roles.

Whether you’re looking to train new employees or implement a new training program, New Horizons training courses can help you hire the right IT personnel for your modern organization.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/25/title/How-to-Become-a-Business-AnalystHow to Become a Business AnalystFri, 9 Feb 2018 16:38:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/25/title/How-to-Become-a-Business-Analyst

When business improvement projects fail, poor planning and communication are often to blame. It's why only 30 percent of projects are considered successful.

As more companies realize the need to fix outdated processes and adopt new technology to stay competitive, business analysts are in high demand.

How to Become a Business Analyst

A business analyst is a vital link between a company’s business objectives and IT. They facilitate communication between stakeholders, project teams and developers to execute projects, cut costs and improve quality.

If you’re an analytical thinker with a knack for solving business problems, business analysis is a rewarding and lucrative career path. You’ll play a key role in your organization and have endless opportunities to grow in your career.

Whether you’re entering the field with previous IT experience or starting from scratch, here's how to become a business analyst.

Apply Directly Out of College

You can apply for entry-level business analysts positions right out of college after earning a bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, information systems, human resources or another related field.

As a new grad, how do you stand out from other applicants?

Demonstrating strong communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills will help differentiate you from the pack. Adding business analysis internships to your résumé during college will also give you an edge over other applicants.

Make a Career Transition

If you’re currently working in another area of IT or business, you probably already possess many of the skills required to become a business analyst.

For example, a software developer’s analysis and data mining skills transfer seamlessly to the responsibilities of a business analyst.

If you come from a business background, understanding operational processes and project management will give you an advantage in a business analysis career.

Transferable skills can help you skip entry-level positions and ease naturally into the business analyst role.

3 Steps to Become a Business Analyst

Whether you’re entering the field with previous IT experience or starting from scratch, there are some important skills you need to master to become a business analyst.

Here’s how to prepare.

1. Learn Core Business Analysis Skills

You’ll need to have these essential skills under your belt as a new business analyst:

Documentation skills: Creating clear, concise documentation is critical. Business analysts are responsible for documenting functional requirements, wireframes, business cases and more. Strong documentation and writing skills will help you get started.

Analysis skills: Business analysts spend a large chunk of time analyzing problems and determining solutions. Knowing how to interpret business, software and information workflows will help you advance in your career.

Business analysis tools: As a new business analyst, you’ll need to know basic office programs like Excel and PowerPoint and common visual modeling tools like Microsoft Visio. Experience using project management tools is another plus.

Elicitation skills: Business analysts run special kinds of meetings called elicitation sessions to communicate project requirements to stakeholders. Understanding how to write effective requirements and run efficient meetings is a crucial business analyst job function.

When applying for business analyst jobs, these skills prove you have the fundamentals to be successful in the position.

2. Take Business Analysis Training Courses

Whether you’re just entering the business analysis field or you want to earn a professional certification, taking business analysis training courses will help you acquire the advanced skills you need to get ahead.

Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA): This certificate targets recent college graduates and professionals transitioning careers. Earning the ECBA recognizes that you have entered the field of business analysis.

Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA): You’re eligible for this certification after two to three years of business analysis experience.

The Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) certification is highly recommended for people who want to achieve a senior BA position. Earning the CBAP demonstrates your dedication to the industry and your ability to lead business improvement projects.

Become a Business Analyst With the Help of New Horizons Training

If you want to become a business analyst, investing in professional training will give you the skills to enter the role with confidence.

Whether you want to get certified or add new skills to your résumé, New Horizons offers comprehensive training courses at every expertise level to enhance your business analyst career.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171284/title/Where-do-business-analysts-fit-into-IT-operations?Where do business analysts fit into IT operations?Fri, 9 Feb 2018 16:29:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171284/title/Where-do-business-analysts-fit-into-IT-operations?
In today's data-driven marketplace, information technology has a major impact on how all levels of a business function. IT not only enables daily operations but plays a crucial role in how organizations develop long-term strategies and move toward their objectives. Meanwhile, business analysts are tasked with keeping software development and other projects on track, and that often means working closely with IT departments.

These analysts are responsible for ensuring an organization's processes for completing projects are aligned with its technological capabilities and broader needs. When you understand what it takes to become a business analyst and how their work impacts IT operations, you may be interested in pursuing a career in this growing field. With the right training, you can solve complex business problems, bridging the gap between technology specialists and organizational leadership.

What business analysts do

A business analyst may have a number of different job titles, including systems analyst, process analyst, requirements engineer or enterprise analyst. There are variations in the exact duties of individuals with each of these titles. Professionals may specialize in areas like expanding IT capabilities or deploying solutions such as Enterprise Resource Planning Systems. An analyst's placement in an organizational chart can also differ; they often work under the auspices of the IT department, but may also be part of the project management office or a digital business unit.

"These professionals facilitate improvements in how enterprises use technology."

While there may be distinctions in their titles and the details of their job descriptions, the work of these professionals is always about facilitating improvements in how enterprises use technology and perform essential tasks. The International Institute of Business Analysis explained that analysts are primarily responsible for bringing about organizational changes that result in increased value for stakeholders. They accomplish those shifts by identifying the best solutions to fulfill an enterprise's requirements - whether that means introducing new technology, instituting a training program, altering an existing process or revising company policy - and leading the way for implementation.

Business analysts may take on a range of tasks, beginning with identifying technical needs and laying out a strategy for meeting them. These professionals lead the way in defining the goals of a project and making ongoing improvements possible. Depending on their technical background and the needs of the business, analysts may be actively involved in assembling data architecture, systems testing or writing documentation.

As CIO noted, one reason why it can be difficult to precisely nail down all the responsibilities of a business analyst is that their purview is constantly evolving. As developments occur in technology, business strategy and workplace culture, specialists must be able to meet evolving demands. For instance, with more developers taking on an agile development framework, analysts may be called on to spend less time identifying specific project requirements. Instead, they are focusing on mediating between IT departments and other parts of a business or enabling the adoption of new software.

Business analysts work closely with IT teams to implement software solutions and optimize processes.

Developing the skills to manage requirements effectively

A specialist in business analysis needs an array of highly developed skills and the readiness to keep learning new ones as conditions demand. The Balance emphasized that advanced problem-solving and comfort with breaking away from the status quo are essential for this line of work. Analysts must be adept at identifying inefficient processes and then finding creative ways to streamline and integrate those operations.

The technical abilities of business analysts may vary depending on their precise set of responsibilities within an organization. They generally need at least a broad knowledge of IT systems and technology structures, but some may go much deeper in their understanding of databases and software development. Using current analytics tools allows specialists to pick out important trends and possible problems in user adoption of software.

A professional in this field should be an excellent communicator, clearly explaining technical requirements through writing, speech and visualizations. Business analysts need to get complex ideas across to both IT professionals and business leaders, so they should be sensitive to situations where it's appropriate to alter their use of jargon and level of detail for the audience. They achieve productive collaboration by producing documents that convey how to put their initiatives into action and presenting their reasoning to stakeholders.

Business analysis is an exciting career path for individuals who combine a strong comprehension of IT with talent for problem solving. If you think this career might be the right path for you, take the first steps through courses in strategic business analysis and becoming a Certified Business Analysis Professional. The New Horizons Center for Leadership and Development offers the education you need to optimize processes for project teams and developers.

Cisco developed certification paths to help IT professionals successfully deploy and manage Cisco technology.

The training courses and paths are designed to help you level up your Cisco skills — regardless of your starting point. You can choose from Entry, Associate, Professional and Expert level certifications or work your way up the ladder.

Choosing the right Cisco certification path for you depends on your interest, experience level and career goals. If you’re looking to break into Cisco technology, the two most popular certification paths are network operations or network design.

As a Cisco professional, you can also venture outside networking to specialize in technologies including data center application, services or voicemail.

Ready to dive in? Here are the best Cisco certification paths to accelerate your career:

The CCENT is the first step of the Cisco certification path. It’s an entry-level certification focused on setting up, maintaining and troubleshooting branch networks. It’s an excellent foundation for IT professionals interested in networking careers.

CCENT courses help you establish a baseline understanding of network security, a critical area of concern for every modern organization. It’s also a prerequisite for other Cisco certifications. You can enhance the value by pairing it with other certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+ or upgrading to more advanced Cisco credentials.

With CCNA, you can choose to specialize in several areas. Some of the most popular ones include:

CCNA Routing and Switching

The CCNA distinction is one step up from the CCENT level and expands on the CCENT certification. The CCNA Routing and Switching certification demonstrates that you have the skills to deploy, secure, maintain and operate medium-size Cisco networks.

To earn your CCNA Routing and Switching certification, invest in these training courses:

CCNA Cloud

By earning the CCNA Cloud certification, you’ll be prepared to perform entry-level provisioning and support for Cisco cloud solutions. You’ll learn foundational cloud computing knowledge, such as cloud deployment models, administration and operations. These courses will help you achieve the CCNA Cloud certification:

CCDP

CCDP is a great option for senior-level IT positions, including network design engineers and network/solution architects. You’ll learn about Cisco network design, including advanced addressing and routing protocols, services virtualization and integration strategies for multi-layered enterprise architecture.

Investing in these three courses will help you achieve the CCDP certification:

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171026/title/5-skills-employers-are-looking-for-when-hiring-IT-workers5 skills employers are looking for when hiring IT workersFri, 2 Feb 2018 17:38:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40171026/title/5-skills-employers-are-looking-for-when-hiring-IT-workers
The enterprise IT world is changing at a breakneck pace. Technology hype cycles that typically take years to unfold are compressing into months as emerging solutions such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence and the internet of things experience expanded use shortly after their initial emergence. With businesses becoming more reliant on data all the time, companies increasingly need to take advantage of technologies that help them make information actionable, even if it means leveraging solutions that are in the early stages of development.

This situation puts IT professionals in a difficult situation. It has become nearly impossible to stay ahead of all of the technical skills that could be useful for various positions. What's more, such trends as DevOps, the rise of application platforms and advanced enterprise mobility are pushing IT professionals to understand a wide range of competencies.

Developers must have a clear idea of the ins and outs of production environments so they can adjust code accordingly. IT administrators need to play a part in governance, security and regulatory compliance when approving low-code apps created in development platforms. Do-it-all help desk engineers must be able to communicate security and device management best practices to employees using mobile devices for a wide range of processes. It isn't enough to have a few strong technical skills;, IT pros today need to be able to adjust to changing demands and have the soft skills needed to work effectively in cross-disciplinary teams.

With such varied demands in place, employers are looking for a variety of both technical and soft skills in their IT professionals. Five of the most in-demand competencies are:

AI skills are increasingly important in the IT world.

1. AI experience
Artificial intelligence is beginning to transform how businesses operate, with the ability to create intelligent backend systems. Forbes recently brought together members of its technology council to discuss the most important skills in the IT sector, and industry expert Sultan Meghji explained that the entire AI segment is going through a period in which is it understaffed to a significant degree. As such, IT pros with AI skills are in demand, and leaders with experience managing teams working on AI projects are particularly desirable among employers.

AI is also rising at a rapid pace. Grand View Research found that the global AI market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 57.2 percent for the period of 2015 to 2025. Robotics and AI are penetrating a variety of sectors quickly, and demand for machine learning is gaining momentum particularly quickly.

2. Mobile app development
Another member of the Forbes Technology Council, Scott Stiner, explained that 2018 will be another year of increased demand for developers who can create mobile apps. In almost all cases, companies want devs to be able to work with multiple languages and be able to contribute to user interface and experience conversations. This assertion is backed by research from IT employment firm Harris Allied, which found that software application developers and architects have the skill sets with the highest demand in the tech sector.

As mobile continues to rise, demand for new apps and services escalates. Allied Market Research found that the global market for mobile apps will rise at a 19.2 percent CAGR from 2016 through 2023, topping out at a value of $311,249 million.

Mobile devs are in high demands as the app economy continues to boom.

3. Collaboration
When Harris Allied surveyed employers about what they're looking for when it comes to IT positions, they also asked about soft skills. They ranked the ability to collaboratively within a team as the most important soft skill they seek in prospective hires.

Many organizations are asking more of their IT workers, expecting them to empower the business to operate at its best. As these demands rise, IT pros must be able to work well not only with other tech experts, but also with the non-tech employees they support. This doesn't just mean a willingness to collaborate either, as respondents to the Harris Allied study also listed excellent communication skills as a major priority.

4. Adaptability

"Change is happening at a blistering pace in the IT world."

We already discussed how change is happening at a blistering pace in the IT world, and the trend is clear. In a Forbes report, industry expert Nick Morrison unpacked a study of graduates from the highly exclusive CEMS Masters in International Management Program. These graduates often start out in major business schools and with prestigious internships before being accepted to the CEMS program, and the majority of them pointed to the accelerated changes taking place in the technology sector as the greatest threat to the global business world.

The Forbes Technology Council report mentioned earlier covered a similar theme, with council-member Arthur Pereless saying that IT pros who are constantly learning and able to adjust to new challenges will be in high demand moving forward.

5. Leadership skills
It's great to be excellent working with tech, but over time, organizations need their most talented people to have a larger influence on the business. Leadership skills are in high demand as a result, as they were cited by many of the respondents to the Harris Allied survey.

Getting ahead of the IT job market
With so many skills in demand, it can seem like a lot to try and keep up with. We're here to help. At New Horizons, we offer a variety of IT training programs, covering everything from specific software systems and industry certifications to the soft skills that are increasingly in demand in today's job climate. Contact us today if you want to learn more.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170812/title/Why-the-manager-role-should-always-evolveWhy the manager role should always evolveWed, 31 Jan 2018 10:32:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170812/title/Why-the-manager-role-should-always-evolve
Business never stands still. New challenges and opportunities are constantly emerging, especially in a fast-paced, technology-driven world. To build successful careers in this environment, managers have to be prepared for changes in their daily priorities and larger professional responsibilities.

Good leaders are always thinking ahead, staying flexible enough to take on difficult problems as they arise. Managers must be aware of the constantly shifting nature of their roles, adapting to meet the demands of their organization and needs of their staff. By keeping an eye on the big picture as they develop both technical and soft skills over time, these professionals can help their companies thrive and grow.

Essential management skills

"Managers put a company's goals into action."

A manager is responsible for putting a company's goals into action and optimizing the performance of employees under his or her supervision. These professionals are a vital connection in the corporate hierarchy, and their role often requires extensive knowledge and technical ability, especially if they are in charge of highly specialized departments like information technology. No matter your industry or area of expertise, however, there are certain attributes that successful managers share.

Individuals who are interested in pursuing managerial positions should be strong leaders and communicators, able to convey specific directives and priorities to workers. Management is often responsible for translating the organization's greater mission into actionable agendas for teams and individual employees, giving them a clear sense of the company's expectations and keeping operations on track. In turn, they may also need to provide regular reports to their superiors and explain what resources workers need to do their jobs as well as possible.

These professionals are focused on solving problems efficiently and effectively. They make the success of the company possible by routinely checking in on the progress of individual projects and addressing any conflicts among personnel or issues with technology as they arise. A good manager is attentive to the complex processes that keep a business growing and always prepared to work closely with employees to find the best course through difficult situations.

Adapting to change without losing a step

Agility has always been an asset for management, but it's a particularly crucial attribute in today's data-oriented business landscape. The rise of analytics has transformed the way companies set strategy and plan for the future. As companies gain new insights into how everything from customer relationships manufacturing processes affect the bottom line, handling data and applying analytics are becoming bigger parts of a manager's job.

Leaders must adjust to a greater emphasis on measuring the results of each initiative and hitting specific metrics. The shift in how managers establish plans and demonstrate success will continue in the years to come. Fast Company pointed out the importance of preparing for the changes that will hit many workplaces by 2025. Office cultures will evolve alongside technology with employees expecting to be allowed more independence and the freedom to work remotely.

Managers will need to think about how they can bring these teams together, even if they are in physically distant spaces, to collaborate and meet shared goals. In many cases, that could mean placing more focus on achieving final results than guiding the specific steps workers take to get there. Leaders who are open to a high level transparency in their own work and possess strong problem-solving skills are likely to be the most effective in this new climate.

Managers benefit from staying flexible and keeping up with new technology.

Cultivating tomorrow's skill set

Accomplished managers are careful planners, so it's important to prepare for a changing workplace today. One of the best ways that professionals can prepare for the management challenges ahead is by developing a stronger understanding of the data and technology that is pushing companies forward. With advanced knowledge and training on their side, managers can make the most of their role as intermediary between a technically skilled workforce and strategically minded executive leadership.

To get the best outcomes in these data-focused organizations, tomorrow's leaders will need to comprehend the ideas and visualizations presented by data scientists and apply their findings. Further, they are likely to have growing responsibility for the integrity and security of data, which are pressing concerns for businesses of all kinds. Managers must be attentive to how their teams are handling sensitive and private information, vigilant for any weaknesses that could lead to breaches.

Finding strategic insights in complex data and working with advanced systems are only becoming more significant parts of the manager's role. With a forward-looking education, you can get ahead of the demands of business and play a major role in driving your organization toward its objectives. Taking corporate computer training courses from New Horizons could be a major step toward achieving your goals for career in management.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170808/title/Emerging-practices-in-DevOpsEmerging practices in DevOpsWed, 31 Jan 2018 09:34:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170808/title/Emerging-practices-in-DevOps
DevOps has become the quickest and most efficient way to solve software problems. Companies all over the world revel in this practice, and for good reason. It allows for a unification of software development and software operation that simply hasn't been done before.

A majority of companies that rely on software creation utilize DevOps. In fact, the Rightscale 2016 State of the Cloud Report: DevOps Trends found that DevOps adoption hit 74 percent in 2016, as opposed to 66 percent in 2015.

While it's certainly good to see more people investing in a crucial aspect of software development, there are enormous consequences for those who don't get ahead of the curve. According to Gartner, 50 percent of people surveyed said that the biggest obstacle to expanding a DevOps program were people within the company.

It's simply impossible to run a successful company if you're dragging your feet on important issues. Therefore, let's take some time to discuss what's happening within DevOps.

DevOps is no longer for the big guys

Like many technology trends, DevOps didn't initially make its way into smaller businesses. It's not that these organization couldn't use this technique. Rather, due to limited resources, these companies simply don't have the ability to take risks on different ideas.

However, the time for this line of thinking is gone. According to the 2016 State of the Cloud Report: DevOps Trends from Rightscale, around 70 percent of SMBs area adopting DevOps. While it's true that utilization of this technique is still highest within larger businesses – which hold an adoption rate of 81 percent – it's still very exciting to see smaller businesses branching out.

Even small businesses are seeing the importance of DevOps.

If you run a smaller operation and you still aren't using DevOps, you're in the minority. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and beat your competition, you'll have to get with the times and adopt a DevOps strategy.

Training is becoming crucial

Knowledge is one of the most valuable resources within IT, and this is no different within a DevOps deployment. If you're looking for ways to improve your team's ability to work under this model, you may want to invest in computer learning courses from New Horizons. We have a host of classes specifically dedicated to teaching your employees the ins and outs of DevOps, and this variety can allow you to tailor your team's knowledge base to an optimal level.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170798/title/How-talent-development-creates-stronger-internal-teamsHow talent development creates stronger internal teamsTue, 30 Jan 2018 20:16:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170798/title/How-talent-development-creates-stronger-internal-teams
Talent development plays a central role in any company's success, regardless of sector. The growth of each employee's knowledgebase is the cornerstone to any strong business model, and yet many administrators aren't taking full advantage of the human resources at their disposal. This sadly results in an enormous amount of potential going to waste.

While the loss of an individuals possible growth is obviously an issue, a lack of proper talent development has a much larger problem. Without an employer desire to see employees better themselves, there's no driving force for your internal teams to improve.

As a decision maker, it's up to you to ensure that your company's employees have the ability to reach their full potential. To that end, let's discuss exactly why talent development can lead to an overall stronger team.

Talent development doesn't have to happen one-on-one

Increasing an important skill set lies at the heart of talent development. It's impossible for employees to grow if they aren't placed in an environment where they can learn something. However, this process doesn't have to be completed alone. In fact, making talent development a team-building exercise can help you strengthen the bonds between your workers.

If you have a group of people who utilize the same technologies or techniques, there are few better ways to bring them all together than by allowing them to train together. Not only will this help to improve relationships between your employees, but it will also help with engagement.

According to Gallup, 50.8 percent of employees were "not engaged" while 17.2 percent were what the survey referred to as "actively disengaged." Getting your workers to engage with tasks while on the job is an important part of productivity, and creating a team-building exercise that also improves upon important skills is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

Hiring from the inside boosts morale

Filling a position that requires a considerable skill set is a difficult and uncomfortable process. A resume can say a lot and professional reference help to paint a person's character, but you can't ever know what kind of worker someone is until you've already employed them.

This is why it's so important for companies to hire from inside the company whenever possible. If an organization develops its employees properly, they should be able to handle any task the business throws at them.

However, the real major benefit from hiring from within is the fact that it creates a deep level of respect between workers. Watching someone improve his or her knowledge is a fulfilling enterprise on its own, and seeing such a person achieve a level of success is rewarding. By keeping promotions within the company, you're showing other employees that if they work hard, they can improve their current standing.

People love seeing fellow employees doing well.

Get your team the skills they need

The average company is spending $1,252 on training for employees, according to research from the Association for Talent Development. If you're spending less, or even nothing at all, you could be putting your organization well behind the competition. This is especially true within IT, where constantly changing technologies force businesses to stay on their toes and adapt to fluctuating needs.

Thankfully, there's a simple solution in the form of computer training courses from New Horizons. With classes ranging in topic from the cloud to cybersecurity, New Horizons has a host of courses that can help ensure your employees stay competitive. What's more, setting a common goal such as an IT certification is a great way to bring an entire team together.

Regardless of your industry, you need to develop the talent within your organization. Make sure you're doing everything to can to improve morale and skill sets across the board.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170769/title/IT-leaders-play-key-role-in-cross-departmental-enterprise-functionsIT leaders play key role in cross-departmental enterprise functionsTue, 30 Jan 2018 15:06:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170769/title/IT-leaders-play-key-role-in-cross-departmental-enterprise-functions
The growing digital transformation movement is pushing IT professionals to develop cross-departmental skills that allow them to contribute across the organization. As a result, many IT teams are finding themselves in a situation where they have to broaden both their technical and business knowledge to keep up in today's climate.

Why digital transformation changes IT expectations
Not too long ago, many IT industry conversations were focused on trends such as consumerization and data center consolidation. The idea was that organizations had more opportunities to align business and IT capabilities by outsourcing elements of their data center to the cloud, consolidating existing systems into ultra-efficient environments and delivering more flexible, adaptable services to end users. As a result, tech teams would be left with less time managing systems and more resources available to assess business needs and develop strategies to better support operations.

"Digital transformation is pressuring IT to change quickly."

In practice, this entire movement has escalated to the point that businesses are transforming around digital technologies and the lines between IT functions and key enterprise processes are disappearing. Data is being embedded into just about everything companies do, and that means IT must have a hand in how organizations create, manage and execute their processes.

Digital transformation is pressuring IT to change quickly, and many companies don't feel they are in an ideal position to keep up. A McKinsey survey of executives found that 33 percent believe they are facing major cultural and behavioral challenges when trying to achieve their digital agendas. Another 24 percent cite a lack of digital talent, and 21 percent point to poor alignment within the organizational structure as a problem.

These issues point to the need for greater cross-departmental coordination to support digital methodologies, and IT professionals can help drive positive change through effective skills development.

Aligning business and IT through cross-departmental operations
The longstanding silos within businesses are holding companies back as they strive to innovate. An Entrepreneur guest blog from industry expert Laurie Cutts explained that leading organizations are trying to cut through organizational boundaries and establish strong relationships through cross-departmental operations. The goal is to unite people with diverse skill sets across common goals to create a more valuable, productive work environment. In many cases, such efforts can not only drive accountability and productivity, but also lead to better decision-making and flexibility in light of business changes.

With modern digital strategies pushing organizations to continually shift and reinvent themselves for changing market demands, companies must be able to pivot with ease. That means they need employees who can take on new responsibilities, advise on how their areas of operations will be impacted by change and clearly communicate with colleagues that depend on them. In this new IT world, it isn't enough to just have a basic understanding of how business works,; professionals must have such a deep pool of technical knowledge that they can seamlessly apply their skills across departmental needs and resolve problems as they come up. New Horizons can help with the full breadth of courses IT leaders need to expand their skills and stay ahead in a rapidly shifting sector.

Big data presents an enormous opportunity for businesses to glean actionable and predictive insights. And investments in big data analytics will only grow in 2018.

If you're looking to advance your career as a database developer, administrator or analyst, SQL (Structured Query Language) skills are a necessity. Being proficient in SQL proves you can develop and maintain complex database and information solutions.

SQL is a highly sought-after skill, but it can’t be learned overnight. Here’s the best way to learn SQL and advance your career in database management.

What Is SQL?

SQL is the standard programming language used to create and manage relational databases. Relational systems are made up of a set of tables containing rows and columns of data. Each column in a table represents a category of data, such as a customer name or address, and each row contains a data value for the intersecting column.

Functions of SQL include:

Modifying database table and index structures

Adding, updating and deleting rows of data

Retrieving information from a database for transaction processing and analytics

Generating tables and other database projects

SQL isn’t going anywhere. Used since the 1970s, it's a universal coding language that will help you transition into learning other computer languages, including JavaScript and Python.

SQL doesn’t require prior programming experience, so it’s a great coding language to learn if you’re just getting into programming. But with so many resources available to learn SQL, where do you begin?

The Best Way to Learn SQL

First, you need to understand the basics. Here are a few steps you can take to start learning SQL on your own.

Start Simple

Learning SQL involves a lot of reading and practicing queries and commands. Take it slow and focus on learning simple queries first. Don’t move on to complex query writing until you’ve mastered the basics.

Install a Free SQL Database

The best way to learn SQL is by practicing it. Install a free open source database so you can start writing and running simple queries using your own data. MySQL is a popular free database that is compatible with most operating systems.

Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of SQL and feel comfortable running queries, it’s time to get certified.

Benefits of a SQL Certification

Simply knowing SQL isn’t enough. If you want to stand out to employers or move up within an organization, you’ll need to back up your SQL knowledge with professional certifications.

IT certifications not only demonstrate your breadth of technical knowledge, but also that you’re committed to your career. Technical certifications can boost your salary up to 10 percent over the national average.

How to Get SQL Certified

Microsoft SQL server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that supports a variety of transaction processing, business intelligence and analytics applications in a corporate IT environment. Like most relational databases, Microsoft SQL Server uses SQL to manage databases and query data.

SQL Server is a favorite among developers because it’s more robust and easier to use than other database systems on the market.

Earning the MCSA: SQL Server certification proves you have the essential skills needed to develop and maintain critical Microsoft SQL Server environments. This certification qualifies you for a position as a database developer or database analyst.

New Horizons offers comprehensive training courses to prepare you for the MCSA SQL Server certification exam. The certification track includes three courses and exams:

Cyberattacks are the fastest growing crime in the U.S., and they continue to grow in size and sophistication. This year big companies like Facebook, Panera Bread, Under Armour and Uber made headlines after having customer information stolen. With each breach, administrative fears and the demand for cybersecurity certifications increase.

These fears are not unfounded. Centrify found that 66 percent of customers in the U.S. would likely halt any interaction with a business that's officially been hacked.

As a company, you might find yourself scrambling to hire top cybersecurity talent or equip your IT team with cybersecurity certifications. As an IT professional, the demand for cybersecurity skills presents a huge opportunity to boost your résumé, stand out among candidates and increase your earning potential.

But with so many IT security certifications out there, where do you start?

As the leading IT training company, we compiled the top cybersecurity certifications IT professionals need to earn in 2018:

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

CompTIA Security+

Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF)

1. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

To stop a hacker, you must be able to think like one. It's an interesting balance between toeing the line of moral actions and processing the malicious thoughts the average cybercriminal would have. This kind of mentality isn't easy to come by, which is why the Certified Ethical Hacker course was created.

This class teaches the skills you need to think and act like a hacker.

CEH students go through real-time scenarios where they are exposed to different ways hackers penetrate networks and steal information. Students learn how to scan, test and hack and protect their systems.

IT professionals who complete this course have many positions to choose from, the most notorious being penetration testing. Penetration testing jobs require you to hack into a network without actually stealing any data. This job function demands a high level of trust, which is well rewarded. Penetration tester salaries often top out at just over $130,000 annually, according to PayScale.

2. CompTIA Security+

CompTIA Security+ is a base-level certification for IT professionals new to cybersecurity. You only need two years of IT experience to complete it. The CompTIA Security+ certification is regarded as a general cybersecurity certification because it doesn't focus on a single vendor product line.

In this course, you learn about broader IT security concepts, including:

Network attack strategies and defenses

Elements of effective security policies

Network- and host-based security best practices

Business continuity and disaster recovery

Encryption standards and products

CompTIA Security+ is great for anyone looking to gain basic IT security knowledge. It helps build a solid foundation that you can enhance with other courses. The certification is so well-respected that the U.S. Department of Defense mandates it for all employees.

Because security applies to all levels and job roles, this course will also benefit application developers, PC support analysts and senior managers in accounting, sales and marketing roles.

3. Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)

Another popular certification for general cybersecurity knowledge is the Certified Information System Security Professional course. Many IT companies consider CISSP a base requirement for employees responsible for network security.

This course challenges you in various cybersecurity domains, including:

Access Control

Cryptography

Telecommunications

Networking

Like CompTIA Security+, this certification is not vendor-specific, so the knowledge can be applied to a variety of setups.

To take this exam, you need at least three to five years of field experience. The CISSP is considered the “crown jewel” of cybersecurity certifications, and passing the exam can lead to some incredibly lucrative positions. Security architects, for example, can make more than $150,000 annually.

The CISSP certification is a must-have for people looking to move into a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) role. But it’s also a salary-booster for analysts, systems engineers, consultants and IT security managers.

Over the course of this management-focused certification, you will learn about four sections of cybersecurity:

Information security program development and management

Information security management

Information security incident management

Information risk management and compliance

The exam is incredibly rigorous and demands a lot of time and knowledge, but the end result is worth it. Many CISM certification holders pursue a CISO title, a position that earns an average of $160,000 per year, according to PayScale.

Any IT professional interested in managing enterprise information security can increase their earning potential by taking this course.

5. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

The CISA certification is focused on information auditing. As an IT professional, being CISA-certified demonstrates that you have rigorous audit experience and are capable of managing vulnerabilities and instituting controls at an enterprise level.

Like its sibling test CISM, CISA requires applicants to have five years of experience before registering. Students learn about information systems control and monitoring skills, including:

The process of auditing information systems

IT management and governance

Protection of information assets

A globally recognized certification, CISA is a main requirement for high-level IS audit, assurance and control positions.

6. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF)

By 2015, 30 percent of U.S. organizations were using the NCSF Framework, and adoption has only increased across enterprises, the public-sector and SMBs.

NCSF certifications validate that cybersecurity professionals have the baseline skills to design, build, test and manage a cybersecurity program using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

NCSF Foundation Certification

This program is for executives, business professionals or information technology professionals who need a basic understanding of NCSF to perform their jobs. NCSF Foundation training and certification helps establish a common NCSF vocabulary across an organization.

NCSF Practitioner Certification

This program teaches you the best approach to designing and building a comprehensive technology-focused cybersecurity program. You’ll learn how to operationalize a business-focused cybersecurity risk management program that will minimize risks and protect critical assets.

By earning your NCSF Practitioner certification, you’ll develop a deep understanding of NCSF and come away with a methodology for adapting and operationalizing it.

Choosing the Best Cybersecurity Certification for You

These top cybersecurity certifications will keep your IT staff up to date on the latest techniques and security best practices or help elevate your income and marketability.

But being security-aware is not only for IT professionals. All business staff should have a foundational understanding of cybersecurity and the risks technology poses.

So why aren’t more IT professionals investing in these skills? The biggest hurdle to earning a cybersecurity certification is time. Whether you prefer instructor-led or online learning, New Horizons can provide the right cybersecurity training experience for you.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170586/title/What's-next-on-the-cloud-enabled-horizon?What's next on the cloud-enabled horizon?Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:23:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170586/title/What's-next-on-the-cloud-enabled-horizon?
Cloud computing is changing, and IT pros that want to get ahead of the curve need to be aware of where the technology is going. In recent years, the IT world has gone through a period of consolidation. Disparate services are increasingly integrated and unified into common platforms, simplifying the end-user experience. With cloud complexity on the rise, single-source cloud models, managed services and vendor ecosystems are gaining momentum. As technology convergence continues, it is clear that the cloud is evolving around two central themes - machine learning and de-centralized computing models.

Machine learning and the cloud
Various forms of artificial intelligence are becoming more advanced and accessible across a variety of enterprise sectors. With more businesses looking for AI that can help them work more efficiently and profitably, many are turning to machine learning solutions. The problem with machine learning is that it is heavily dependent on large, steady data streams to teach the AI how to behave under different circumstances. Traditional IT environments aren't up to the task, but large-scale cloud platforms can handle the job. As such, the cloud is evolving around the machine learning movement.

"The cloud is emerging as hotbed for interconnectivity between data driven platforms."

According to Information Management, APIs are giving developers the tools they need to incorporate cognitive computing into their apps and services. As such, cloud systems are being built out to use a combination of data mining, pattern recognition and similar capabilities to create AI-empowered solutions in a variety of sectors. The report pointed to video analytics and face recognition as examples of the way cognitive computing is rising and becoming a backend feature of clouds.

Information Management also emphasized chatbots and similar types of assistants as cloud-enabled solutions for AI and machine learning. These bots can provide human-like simulated conversations within apps, websites and related systems, with machine learning hosted in the backend to keep everything running smoothly.

The cloud is emerging as hotbed for interconnectivity between data-driven platforms, allowing machine learning solutions to bring a degree of intelligence and adaptability to the apps and technologies people are using every day.

Aligning the cloud with the computing edge
Imagine you are tasked with creating an AI backend for a self-driving car or similar autonomous vehicle. You have cameras, radar, lidar and similar systems to gather data about the car's surroundings. You have digital maps to keep the vehicle on track. On top of that, other cars are communicating what they see, bringing large amounts of data into a cloud where vehicles can work in tandem to transport people safely and efficiently between locations. This ecosystem sounds great, but when happens when an unusual, unexpected situation arises? How does the car gather data, process it and make a decision in a timely enough fashion?

Even the smallest amount of network latency is too much for this kind of real-time environment, something that is pushing more device manufacturers - whether those devices are robotic cars or specialized manufacturing machines - to employ computing resources in the hardware, creating mini-clouds that interconnect with backend systems to combine real-time data processing with the big-picture analytics and AI capabilities in a traditional cloud setup.

"The cloud has matured a great deal in recent years, but it isn't finished evolving."

The Forbes Technology Council explained that connected devices, cryptocurrency and a variety of peer-to-peer application types are all demanding real-time data in such a way that current cloud models can't quite keep up. This is leading to the development of machine-focused computing models that decentralize the underlying processing power and establish a stronger cloud foundation for our increasingly connected world.

Moving into the cloud's future
The cloud has matured a great deal in recent years, but it isn't finished evolving. While plenty of traditional enterprise and consumer cloud services will likely remain largely the same for the foreseeable future, many will see small changes as AI systems begin to play a larger role in the background. Furthermore, the need for immediate access to data analysis will push cloud models into a new era of edge computing in which seemingly countless connected devices will be part of their own cloud ecosystems.

Cloud computing training is increasingly necessary for IT professionals hoping to keep up. While change can seem slow in the sometimes conservative business world, many of the disruptive shifts on the horizon are already beginning to take hold in some sectors and the potential value could accelerate change even further. Want to learn more? New Horizons offers a full suite of IT training courses, and we can help you choose the best options whether you want to learn more about a key system or prepare for the big-picture issues shaping the cloud's future.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170574/title/3-reasons-cloud-migrations-fail-and-what-you-can-do-about-it3 reasons cloud migrations fail and what you can do about itThu, 25 Jan 2018 15:48:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170574/title/3-reasons-cloud-migrations-fail-and-what-you-can-do-about-it
As cloud computing has become more popular, many companies have come to take the migration process for granted. However, moving various apps and services into a cloud environment still presents numerous challenges, especially as every cloud is a little bit different. With major vendors, such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon all offering their own ecosystems, every cloud migration ends up being distinct from the one that came before. Companies can't afford to take a transition to the cloud for granted, and must instead plan carefully and train staff to handle any challenges that may arise.

"The rate of cloud migration failure is actually increasing."

Cloud migrations aren't always easy. In fact, an InfoWorld report explained that the rate of cloud migration failure is actually increasing. This rise was evident in an Innotas study and stems, according to InfoWorld, from the fact that many businesses transitioning an app or data set to the cloud are still doing for the first time. Whether you are going into your first cloud migration or taking on a new project that offers unique difficulties, it is key to understand some of the major reasons why cloud initiatives end up failing. Here are three of the most prominent ones:

Problem 1: Rushing into projects
InfoWorld pointed out that many organizations send IT experts work to complete a cloud migration as quickly as possible, setting up timelines that aren't feasible and creating excess pressure. While the cloud is capable of accelerating IT operations, there is still plenty to think about and manage, especially during a first-time migration for an app or system.

Network World echoed this sentiment, highlighting that excessive urgency can cause organizations to get out ahead of themselves. In some cases, a business will get so excited by the value offered by the cloud that they start to ramp up migration across the business, rushing the process. This causes projects to stagnate as teams aren't comfortable with the cloud and don't have time to fully understand its implications before they migrate mission-critical systems.

The solution: Organizations can take a two-pronged approach to avoid rushing in their transition to the cloud. The first is to train IT experts on the cloud ecosystem you're moving into. For example, if you want to port a database into a Microsoft cloud, seek out Microsoft-certified training programs and develop your staff. From there, project management training can help your leaders gain a stronger understanding of how to set expectations and manage timelines effectively.

Problem 2: Neglecting communication
The consumerization of IT has led to a situation in which non-tech users are often empowered to roll out cloud services as they need them. Network World reported that this is particularly evident in the rise of shadow IT, and companies need to open up lines of communication between business and tech teams. In many cases, migration efforts fail because executives aren't giving IT leaders clear expectations about business goals and IT is left unable to adequately specify project requirements.

The solution: This is one problem that calls out for strong project management expertise. A well-trained project manager can serve as a mediator between business and IT leaders, understanding the needs and challenges of both groups and ensuring a cloud migration remains focused on the right priorities.

Strategic training can go a long way in supporting a cloud migration.

Problem 3: Lack of support for staff
Working in the cloud often presents entirely new and unique challenges to a business compared to a traditional IT environment. Network World explained that companies often neglect to invest in the underlying support systems and tools that come into play when transitioning to the cloud. IT training, time spent discussing business goals and a clear awareness of the cloud service model stack are all critical in properly supporting the IT team as it moves systems into the cloud.

The solution: IT training programs that cover a wide range of specializations can play a large part in moving to the cloud. Having a holistic staff training strategy in which employees are tasked with gaining expertise in specific, but relevant, areas can lead to the broad departmental knowledge needed to handle a move to the cloud.

While investments in professional development can't guarantee a successful migration to the cloud, they can certainly improve the likelihood of success and prepare your staff to respond to issues that arise along the way. Whether you're an IT pro looking to get a cloud-focused job or an executive trying to train your staff, New Horizons can help. Contact us today if you want to learn more about our cloud-related IT training programs.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170464/title/Why-LinkedIn-is-key-to-finding-top-IT-professionalsWhy LinkedIn is key to finding top IT professionalsTue, 23 Jan 2018 18:04:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40170464/title/Why-LinkedIn-is-key-to-finding-top-IT-professionals
Businesses are only becoming more reliant on data for daily operations and long-term strategy. That means the demand for information technology professionals will continue to grow over the years to come. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that U.S. organizations would add 546,100 new jobs in computer and IT occupations between 2016 and 2026.

To fill those jobs with highly skilled individuals, human resources specialists and recruiters are reaching out through social media. With more than 530 million registered members, including over 46 million current students or recent graduates, LinkedIn is now an essential resource for connecting tech-savvy individuals with jobs. Companies looking to hire IT talent and and tech professionals who are interested in marketing their own skills can benefit from taking a strategic approach to social media.

Simplifying the search process

"LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform for finding new employees."

In a 2017 survey of HR professionals conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, 84 percent of respondents said they currently used social media for recruitment, while another 9 percent said they planned to start. LinkedIn was by far the most popular social media platform for finding new employees. According to 71 percent of the HR specialists who used social media, this approach successfully cut down on the time it took to hire workers for salaried, non-management roles.

LinkedIn allows organizations to engage a pool of qualified individuals with particular skills, such as IT specialists. They can attract applicants by posting open positions on a site that's widely used by tech professionals, but their recruitment efforts can go further. By developing strong networks and getting to know job applicants through their profiles, businesses establish robust talent pipelines.

In many cases, thoughtful use of keywords makes all the difference in connecting with high-quality jobseekers. Hiring professionals may search for individuals who have advanced training in analytics or worked in roles that required certain productivity tools and server systems. In turn, the right language on a company's profile may attract searches from a well-qualified IT expert looking for his or her next position.

Seeking out passive candidates

Often, the best person for an open role is not currently looking for a job. However, even if an IT professional is not scrolling through the want ads every day, there's a good chance that he or she is willing to talk to a recruiter about a promising opportunity. The right offer may be enough motivation to get that individual to make a change.

One of the biggest advantages of LinkedIn is that it puts companies in touch with these passive job candidates. HR specialists can build relationships with highly qualified people, providing them with chances to take the next steps in their careers. Recruiters make a good first impression by networking with trusted individuals in the field, obtaining referrals and personal introductions.

From there, hiring professionals can use email or LinkedIn's messaging system to make their case to passive candidates. Tailoring communications to fit the particular needs and ambitions of the individual may be time-consuming, but it is a far more convincing strategy than sending a generic greeting or pitch. Often, these candidates are motivated by a chance to take a stronger leadership role or an intriguing challenge, rather than just a boost in salary.

A LinkedIn profile can be the first step toward a successful career in IT.

How IT professionals get themselves noticed

A carefully curated LinkedIn profile, written with careful attention to keywords, can be a powerful way to capture the attention of recruiters. The Forbes Technology Council spotlighted the areas of experience that will be most compelling to organizations in the years ahead. Professionals who are knowledgeable about data science, artificial intelligence, mobile application development, augmented reality, cybersecurity or cloud-based software-as-a-service will stand the best chance at capturing a great new position.

IT professionals should concisely showcase their most impressive accomplishments and in-demand skills, ranging from technical qualifications like a deep knowledge of server architecture to soft skills like producing convincing reports and presentations. Of course, your explanations of your accomplishments are far more powerful when they are backed up with specific numbers and documentation.

Specialized education and hands-on experience are crucial to any IT expert's job search. The wide variety of computer training courses available at New Horizons equip students with the skills today's tech-oriented companies are interested in. By building your expertise and earning the right certifications, you can ensure that your LinkedIn profile stands out.

Big data is one of the hottest trends in technology right now, thanks to the sheer volume of information humans are creating every day. Around 90 percent of the data in the world was generated within the past two years, according to a 2017 IBM study.

IT officials are scrambling to fully integrate big data into their current operations. In this blog, we’ll explore three big data trends every business should have on their radar:

Big Data in Machine Learning

Big Data in Cybersecurity

Increased Demand for Data Roles

Big Data Trends in 2018 and Beyond

The term “big data” refers to enormous data sets that would be impossible for any single human to sort through, therefore demanding the help of automated systems.

Every industry — from healthcare to finance to retail — is taking advantage of big data to better understand patterns and user behaviors and streamline business processes.

The International Data Corporation expects big data revenues to hit more than $203 billion by 2020, which indicates that there's nowhere to go but up for this technology. With that in mind, let's explore how big data has developed so far in 2018 and what you can do to get ahead of the curve.

Big Data in Machine Learning

Big data’s integration into current machine learning developments is a significant IT trend in 2018.

Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that teaches computers to behave more like humans. It allows computers to learn new things without explicit programming. A machine learning application can analyze big data and come to its own conclusions, which change how the application behaves.

For example, just about every adult can tell the difference between a dog and a cat. A computer, on the other hand, would struggle immensely with this task. Machines don't have years of memories to fall back on, and intuition doesn’t exist in the digital world.

Additionally, it’s incredibly hard to program a machine to decide if a new photograph is of a dog or a cat. Both animals have fur, walk on four legs and have tails.

What’s more, classic identifiers like the fact that cats are often smaller than dogs might just confuse the machine. It might think a five-pound dog is a cat and that an extremely heavyset feline is actually man’s best friend.

Humans can’t program a machine to complete this task, so they developed a computer that can create its own programs to solve the puzzle.

This complicated process demands big data, which lies at the heart of machine learning. The programmed system sorts through heaps of data, testing each new program until it finds a way to consistently differentiate between a cat and a dog.

Machine learning is quickly proving its worth across industries. Financial institutions are applying machine learning to discover patterns in customer behavior and offer custom financial advice and products. In healthcare, researchers are using big data and machine learning to develop deep learning algorithms that can help make medical diagnoses.

The applications for machine learning are endless, which is why this sector is so lucrative right now. Although estimates peg the machine learning market size at around $1.41 billion in 2017, it’s predicted to hit $8.81 billion by 2022.

Big Data in Cybersecurity

While machine learning may pique the interest of science fiction lovers, big data trends also have major implications in the cybersecurity field.

Keeping hackers at bay is a full-time job. Failing to protect your business can have drastic results, which is why cybersecurity remains a top IT concern for companies in 2018. Outside of obvious financial troubles and loss of private data, an attack can forever smear your public image.

As a result, more organizations are using big data for threat detection and mitigation. Big data drives most modern cybersecurity solutions in some respect, including:

Intrusion Detection: Security vendors use big data to stress test and refine their products and ensure they’re suitable to sell to end users. With the help of big data, most major anti-virus and endpoint protection companies train their systems to recognize known attacks and identify patterns to help predict future events. Organizations can use large data stores to predict, prevent and mitigate future attacks. Some companies are also starting to integrate their security information software with big data platforms like Hadoop.

Employee Activity Monitoring: Security employees can collect massive data feeds from on-premises and cloud infrastructure to look for suspicious behaviors and detect anomalies in the network.

Incident Response: Companies in the security industry are working on automated playbooks that allow organizations to respond immediately and intelligently to attacks and minimize the damage.

None of these benefits would be possible without the ability to store and analyze big data in real time.

A study from MeriTalk found that government agencies are already capitalizing on big data technology in cybersecurity. A staggering 81 percent of government officials currently use big data analytics to shore up their cybersecurity, the report found.

While it's clear that big data plays a transformational role in security, there’s still a lot of ground to cover. The MeriTalk report also showed that only 45 percent of federal IT administrators find big data to be "highly effective" in the fight against cybercriminals.

The key to making big data work in cybersecurity will be automation. Data analysts need to be able to classify and categorize cyber threats without long delays.

Automating tasks will make the data available faster, simplify the threat mitigation process and eliminate the need to manually sort through heaps of data.

Increased Demand for Data Roles

With big data on the rise across, companies are looking for skilled employees with the technical abilities to transform large amounts of data into meaningful information. Data analysts will be required to take a more active role in key business initiatives.

In the U.S. alone, there will be an estimated 2.7 million job postings for data analytics and science roles by 2020. Today, 59 percent of the demand is driven by the finance and insurance, professional services and IT sectors.

IT professionals in data-specific roles will be tasked with analyzing big data to uncover hidden patterns, identify opportunities and garner insights that drive business innovation and process improvements.

In-demand positions that rely on big data include:

Data analysts

Database administrators

Data scientists

Data architects

Big data engineers

Businesses will also need to prepare to shell out bigger salaries. Data scientist salaries in the United States range from $100,000-$168,000, according to the 2018 Robert Half Technology Salary Guide.

Machine learning and big data skills are some of the most challenging to recruit for.

But not having qualified data professionals on staff can disrupt product development and go-to-market strategies. Businesses should prioritize hiring data professionals to keep pace with rapidly growing data needs.

Invest in Big Data Training for the Future

Big data and the technologies surrounding it have quite a year ahead of them. Businesses need to equip their IT staff with the big data knowledge and tools they need to remain competitive.

As the largest IT training company in the world, New Horizons offers big data training courses for Cisco, Cloudera, Microsoft and more. Whether you want to apply for a data scientist role or train your staff on big data technologies, New Horizons offers big data training for every skill level and business need.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/21/title/New-Horizons-Launches-New-Center-for-Leadership-and-Development-ProgramNew Horizons Launches New Center for Leadership and Development ProgramWed, 10 Jan 2018 10:21:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/21/title/New-Horizons-Launches-New-Center-for-Leadership-and-Development-Program
Conshohocken, PA — January 10, 2018 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers announces the launch of the new Center for Leadership and Development program, a multi-curricula suite of courses designed for the business professional in any department, centering on personal and professional growth courses that will drive noticeable effectiveness for both individuals and teams.

“Your success begins with your professional development and our new Center for Leadership and Development program will help you reach your objectives,” said Shelley Morris, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of New Horizons. “We want to be your partner, one that will be with you and the members of your organization throughout the entire arc of their careers.”

The Center for Leadership and Development includes:

Leadership and Professional Development

Human Resource Management

Business Analysis

Project Management

IT Service Management

Courses for leadership and development were designed to empower professionals to exceed beyond their specific business goals, building on personal strengths and solidifying knowledge that drives them to succeed. These courses will focus on the practical expertise that you need to further develop team members and organizations, enhancing proficiency in key areas.

The leadership and development courses sit at the core of this program, providing complete training for those acquiring the practical skills in the areas of human resource management, business analysis, project management, IT service management, and even for IT Professionals seeking to enhance their careers by building the personal development competencies.

The Learning & Performance Institute (LPI), a leading authority in learning efficacy (or the “demonstrable impact of learning on individual and organizational performance”), recently awarded New Horizons Computer Learning Centers its highest designation of "Excellent". This comes as a result of a rigorous assessment that found that New Horizons’ development training offers real-world validation with top-rated materials, the highest standard of delivery, and a superb learning experience across its entire suite of Leadership & Professional Development courses.

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers
New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT training solutions have kept businesses—from startups to global enterprises—ahead of the technology curve for 35 years. With 300 learning centers in 70 countries around the world, New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world’s largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Partner, IBM Authorized Training Provider and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit our global website at www.newhorizons.com.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169579/title/How-Big-Data/AI-will-change-businessHow Big Data/AI will change businessTue, 2 Jan 2018 12:43:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169579/title/How-Big-Data/AI-will-change-business
The world is changing fast, and companies are finding it hard to keep up. With so many tech buzzwords floating around, ensuring your organization has everything it needs to succeed is difficult to say the least. Two areas of increasing interest in the technology world are artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.

These two innovations have the ability to completely change how organizations conduct their daily operations, but some people are still shaky on exactly what they are and what they can do for the enterprise. Therefore, let's take some time to discuss what how big data and AI might affect future businesses.

Big data is going to be big

The modern world is driven by data. A popular saying in tech is that if you aren't paying for a service, then you are the product. Companies like Facebook and Google are able to provide their platforms for free because they sell the data you generate on their websites. That may be a frightening concept for you, but it's simply the nature of the beast these days.

"The modern world is driven by data."

These massive information stockpiles fall under the umbrella of big data, which is a trend that's exploded in the past few years. In fact, research from the International Data Corporation predicted big data revenues to hit more than $210 billion by 2020. Clearly, there's a lot of profit to be had here. While big data certainly has a lot of uses, one of its most important functions is how it plays into AI.

AI isn't machine learning

As the name implies, artificial intelligence is any program that can function similarly to a human. The Apple Siri AI assistant is a great example of this, as it can speak to you and perform functions based on a verbal command.

AI is getting stronger every day.

However, one area a lot of people get confused on is the distinction between AI and machine learning. Many use these terms interchangeably, and while they are very much related they do have some distinguishing factors.

While AI is the actual program meant to imitate humans, machine learning is one way in which such a program can learn. Basically, machine learning lets software applications make decisions and predict outcomes using means that they were not explicitly programmed to use.

The problem with programming is that humans simply cannot write code that can handle every single outcome a machine might run into. However, we can program a machine to learn from its mistakes, which thereby allows it to figure out right from wrong by itself. This is obviously a complicated process, and it requires an enormous amount of data.

What can these two products do for the enterprise?

The simple fact of the matter is that AI needs big data in order to remain useful. As Forbes contributor Bernard Marr points out, searches on platforms like Google give researches countless data points with which to more fully understand what people want and need.

What's more, Google searches aren't the only contributors to big data. Every single human interaction that is collected online can fall under this umbrella, and this litany of resources is the way AI learns and grows. Therefore, it's up to companies to use these tools in order to better understand their customers.

The internet has turned the modern consumer into a fickle beast. They have so many options in front of them that it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. A combination of AI and big data is one of the best ways to do so, as it lets companies focus their efforts in areas that their customers clearly care about.

What's more, many people have started to see uses for this pairing outside of business. The New York Times reported on ways in which AI and big data might be used to battle poverty. The limits on this technology are endless.

Therefore, if you want to make sure your organizations stays up to date on the latest trends, you may want to consider investing in big data courses. Thankfully, New Horizons has a host of big data training courses that can help you stay one step ahead of the competition. Contact New Horizons today to find a class that's right for you!

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169502/title/How-to-approach-your-superiors-about-wanting-to-move-into-managementHow to approach your superiors about wanting to move into managementThu, 28 Dec 2017 17:01:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169502/title/How-to-approach-your-superiors-about-wanting-to-move-into-management
If you've been with your company for a while, you may come to find that you consider yourself a good candidate for a management position. In fact, if you do feel this way, you're one of only 7 percent of employees who want to reach senior management, according to CareerBuilder.

While that may mean less competition for you, moving up in a business can be difficult. However, if you follow these tips, you can increase your chances of impressing your boss and ensuring your managerial role.

Write a list of accomplishments (or accomplish something)

When you're applying for a managerial role at a company you already work at, you're basically saying that you have the skills to lead the people who are currently your peers. To prove this, you'll need a list of accomplishments that set you apart from the rest of your coworkers.

Make sure to bring concrete examples of your excellence.

As always, exactly what you put on this list will depend on your specific role, but you'll want to focus on projects where you took the lead. Perhaps you were the one scheduling meetings, or maybe you picked up the slack from another employee. Regardless, you need concrete evidence that you're the kind of person that can rally the troops to accomplish a goal.

If you don't currently have a list of accomplishments, you may not be ready for management yet. However, that doesn't mean you can't change that in the future. Keep an eye out for projects that would allow you to showcase your leadership sills or even see what you can do to lessen the load on your current manager.

Create your own position

"Trying to fill a vacant managerial position can be tough."

Trying to fill a vacant managerial position can be tough. Not only are you competing against fellow coworkers, but you also might have to clash with an outside person who has years of experience on you. So, if you're having trouble handling the stampede to fill a current opening, it might be time for you to make your own.

That may sound strange, but the fact of the matter is that every single managerial role had to be created at some point. The company saw a need for leadership in certain sector and designated the best person for the job. Therefore, it's your job to show your current boss that your organization is lacking in some way.

Elizabeth Bromstein of Workopolis wrote an entire article on this matter, but there are two points she makes that stick out as the most relevant: figure out what the company is missing and understand what the logical next step for your position is. Your job already matters to your organization, so think of ways that you can extend upon your current role that also fix what's missing.

Ensure you have the right education

Whether you're trying to create your own position or are simply competing for an open one, there's no better way to prove your management material than to invest in additional education. What's more, if you're already in the working world and strapped for time, finding the right IT certification course could be the factor that puts you ahead of the pack. Not only does education help you prepare for whatever the job throws at you, but having a certification proves to your superiors that you're willing to go the extra mile.

If you're ready to improve your standing in the job market, there's no better time than now to look into IT certification classes at New Horizons. We have a long list of courses in a host of different fields, allowing you to tailor your education to meet the job specification that you need.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169491/title/The-difference-between-an-IT-worker-and-an-IT-leaderThe difference between an IT worker and an IT leaderThu, 28 Dec 2017 14:51:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169491/title/The-difference-between-an-IT-worker-and-an-IT-leader
Working within IT is a unique experience. Professionals in this field are often on the cutting edge of technology, and they get to rely on systems that ordinary people can only dream of. It truly is a dream job for some, and yet the amount of complexity involved can allow for people to become complacent.

There's nothing wrong with loving the position you're currently in, but but a problem does arise when this comfort keeps you from innovating. IT departments need leaders, and yet so many refuse the role. If you think you're up for the challenge, these simple tips can help you climb to the top of the ladder.

Leaders aren't afraid to speak their minds...

The hallmark of any good leader is the ability to create and implement new ideas. If you can't influence a company's direction on a certain project, you simply aren't leading correctly. This means that you'll need to develop a sense of when to speak up about a particular issue.

For example, a study from the Disaster Preparedness Council found that 64 percent of respondents thought their company's disaster recovery plan was "inadequate and underfunded." That's nearly two-thirds of IT workers who think their organization's operations could cease to work in the event of a catastrophe.

And yet, 78 percent of respondents stated that they've run into outages of critical applications in the recent past. This means that despite the fact that a majority of people saw a problem, few or even none did anything to solve it.

The number of failing DR plans is astonishing.

This is why it's so vital to have someone willing to speak up in the office. No one wants to be the person to address the elephant in the room, but it's essential to do so before it tramples everyone to death. Therefore, it is up to you to discover the areas in which your company could improve and bring this information to the right people.

Of course, no one likes a know-it-all, and pointing out issues in a patronizing fashion is one of the surest ways to be ignored. To avoid this, try to speak using "we language." Rather than saying "your department needs to rethink the disaster recovery solution," try phrasing the statement like "we are facing major downtime if we don't act now."

...but they know when to stop talking and listen

Speaking up is important, but just as necessary is the ability to close your mouth and learn something. A boss is a person who constantly barks orders, regardless of what his or her subordinates have to say. A leader gives direction, but is open to the possibility that they are wrong.

"A leader gives direction, but is open to the possibility that they are wrong."

If you want to be a leader, you need to understand that you can't know everything. What's more, you must be comfortable with the fact that while you're in a leadership position, you aren't inherently better than your subordinates or peers. These people are smart and talented, and they wouldn't be working at your organization if they weren't. The best way to help ensure your company's success is by utilizing all the resources at your disposal, so make sure you listen to those who have something to say.

Integrity is key

On a similar note, a good leader is one who sets an example for his or her team. The best way to do this is to be an honest and upstanding person, both inside and outside the office. In fact, a survey from the World Economic Forum found that integrity was one of the most important aspects of leadership.

If you want to become an example to your peers or are even vying for a promotion, acting with integrity and respect can help show just what you're capable of. Exactly how you go about doing this will depend on your exact position, but it could be as simple as completing assignments before they're do or just owning up to a mistake when you make one.

Never stop educating yourself

IT is one of the fastest developing fields in the world, and while that certainly makes it exciting it can also make life difficult for those working within the sector. Technology professionals must be highly trained to get their job in the first place, but holding onto it and proceeding to a leadership role requires constant education.

However, most people with full-time jobs don't have the time or money to return to school. Thankfully, education comes in many forms, and those working in IT can find an enormous amount of value in IT certification courses. These classes are designed to help keep you updated on the latest innovations, and they're much cheaper and quicker than traditional college courses. What's more, the list of New Horizon courses is so varied that just about everyone can find the right class for them.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169374/title/How-to-optimize-your-resume-for-a-digital-job-marketHow to optimize your resume for a digital job marketFri, 22 Dec 2017 16:33:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169374/title/How-to-optimize-your-resume-for-a-digital-job-market
Finding a job used to mean pounding the pavement and giving a physical resume to a company with an open position. Of course, those days are gone. Businesses now use digital means to find the best applicants, and that's completely changing how people advance their careers. In fact, a study from the Pew Research Center found that 79 percent of Americans relied on online resources for their job search.

If you're looking for the next step in your career, you could probably use all the help you can get. Thankfully, this list of quick tips can give you the edge you need.

Use industry-specific keywords

"Modern technology is all about efficiency."

Modern technology is all about efficiency. While businesses know they need to rely upon tech to get work done, they also understand that finding the right candidate is so much easier when you use the right tools. According to The Balance, this includes relying on applicant tracking systems. These platforms do a lot for the organization, but many actually eliminate resumes or cover letters that don't contain keywords.

That may seem harsh, but it makes sense from a job poster's perspective. These administrators don't have the time to read through every single resume they get, and they need a simple way for an automated system to bounce applicants who clearly aren't right for the position. Applicant tracking systems can easily search from pre-determined keywords, and a software engineer who doesn't once mention Ruby on Rails for an opening that demands that skill either isn't qualified or didn't read the job description.

Sadly, there isn't a list of words that works for every position. Therefore, you'll need to think long and hard about your industry as well as what this job expects out of you. That said, there are some general phrases you can rely on. If you'll be talking to clients in your new role, you'll want a good dose of words like "customer service" and "personal skills." Additionally, you'll want to present any certifications or related talents that make you a good candidate for this role.

Rely on words/phrases from the job description

In a similar vein, it's vital that you lift exact words and phrases directly from the job description. Again, this harkens back to the importance of applicant tracking systems in modern job hunting. These solutions have parameters that were most likely created by the person who wrote the posting, which means the poster used words and phrases that were important to them. By reusing these words yourself, you can help ensure your resume makes it through the culling process.

It's your job to stand out from the crowd.

On top of this, relying on words within the job description is beneficial in that it shows that you're an attentive reader. One of the most frustrating parts of looking for a new employee is the litany of resumes and cover letters from people who very clearly didn't read the entire post. By simply adding words from the description, you make it known that you're not the kind of person to put in a half effort.

Of course, you'll also want to make sure that what you write isn't complete plagiarism. Avoid taking entire sentences and simply stick to words and phrases that will make it clear that you've done your homework.

Avoid strange symbols

When it comes to getting a job, simply getting noticed can be hard enough. People do a lot of things to get on a job poster's radar, and one of the most common is using unusual symbols to either call attention to a portion of the resume or as bullet points.

While there's nothing wrong with showing a little initiative, doing this can actually backfire. Online resumes are generally formatted by the applicant tracking system, and these platforms don't really know what to do when they run into symbols they don't recognize. This could mess with your carefully crafted document, making you look unorganized or sloppy. Additionally, odd symbols can seem unprofessional to certain people and it's best to just avoid them altogether.

Finding the right job can be difficult, but putting in a little extra effort can make all the difference. By following these tips, you can put yourself ahead of the competition and have a real chance at furthering your career.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169180/title/Common-IT-job-search-frustrationsCommon IT job search frustrationsTue, 19 Dec 2017 18:07:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40169180/title/Common-IT-job-search-frustrations
Looking for a new job is rough. Whether you're out of work desperately looking for employment or slogging through the day going nowhere with your career, finding something new can be incredibly difficult. What's more, IT professionals are finding that the ever-changing job market landscape is forcing them to work harder in order to keep up.

While finding the perfect job may never be easy, there are a few common issues that you can avoid if you know about them. So, what are the biggest obstacles in the way of IT pros and what can they do to overcome them?

Not using social media

When it comes to finding a job, most people instantly jump into applying on websites like Monster and Indeed. While relying on these platforms is certainly a good idea, one aspect many IT professionals miss is the fact that everything runs on social media now.

The importance of this is twofold: First, many companies are shifting away from solely using services like Monster to find a qualified employee. In fact, an infographic posted by The Muse stated that 92 percent of organizations are relying on social media to recruit new employees. While this number includes services like LinkedIn, this statement also included platforms like Facebook and Twitter. What's more, considering the fact that a LinkedIn study found that 44 percent of quality hires were found using social networks, it's clear that recruiters see social media as a solid means of discovering talent.

Recruiters see social media as a vital tool.

Second, social media is a great way to build your brand online as an IT professional. In the past, the only real way an employer could find out about a prospective employee would be to read her resume and contact her references. These days, a simple tour a person's social media page can tell you more than any resume ever could.

Therefore, it's your job to put on the best public face possible when applying for jobs. This obviously means avoiding posts about obscene or controversial material, but it also should prompt you to discuss topics of interest within your field. Something as simple as reposting an article about a subject within you industry can show a company you have a personal interest in their open position.

Being underqualified

"The best way to improve yourself is to understand where your faults lie."

It's hard to admit you're not the most qualified person in the world, but the best way to improve yourself is to understand where your faults lie. If you've seen constant rejection due to a lack of skills, or if you're not getting bites on a specific job, it might be time to increase your value.

Going back to school often isn't an option for people already working on their careers, but receiving an IT certification is another choice that can educate you without the time commitment of another degree. What's more, a certification is tangible proof to an employer that you're ready for the opening they have.

Of course, which certification you receive will depend on you industry. But if you're looking to improve your knowledge, now is the time to contact New Horizons. With a plethora of IT certification courses, New Horizons can help you build a career you're proud of.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/20/title/NEW-HORIZONS-LEADERSHIP-AND-PROFESSIONAL-DEVELOPMENT-PROGRAM-RECEIVES-'EXCELLENT'-RATING-FROM-THE-LEARNING-AND-PERFORMANCE-INSTITUTE-(LPI)-NEW HORIZONS LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM RECEIVES 'EXCELLENT' RATING FROM THE LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE (LPI) Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:37:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/20/title/NEW-HORIZONS-LEADERSHIP-AND-PROFESSIONAL-DEVELOPMENT-PROGRAM-RECEIVES-'EXCELLENT'-RATING-FROM-THE-LEARNING-AND-PERFORMANCE-INSTITUTE-(LPI)-
Anaheim, CA — December 12, 2017 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers is pleased to announce that following a rigorous assessment by the Learning & Performance Institute (LPI), the entire Leadership and Professional Development program from the world’s largest IT training company, New Horizons, has been endorsed for the highest standards of excellence, commercial relevance and positive learner experience.

Offered via training centers in 50 countries, the Leadership and Professional Development suite is a comprehensive program of classroom, live online, e-learning, and supporting assets designed to empower students to exceed beyond their specific business goals, building success through the growth of personal strengths.

Initially consisting of 26 courses created by expert instructional and curriculum designers, the suite offers students three distinct paths: Professional Development, Communication & Interpersonal Competencies, and Leadership & Management – and within each path are four “areas of responsibility” to help students plot the best possible learning route.

Each of the 26 courses has now been independently audited against an extensive framework and the entire suite awarded "Endorsed Learning Program status with an Excellent rating” by the Learning & Performance Institute.

Overseeing the endorsement process, LPI consulting partner, Ettie McCormack, said: "This suite of courses from New Horizons has undergone an exhaustive quality assurance check, reinforced by our professional code of practice. Not only have we proved the real-world effectiveness of the learning materials and the expertise of those delivering it, but we have also seen first-hand how this training could have a positive impact on performance outcomes. The end-result is an absolute guarantee of quality from an independent, established and globally-recognized accreditation body. Potential customers should have no hesitation in booking this course for their students."

Commenting on the endorsement, LPI CEO, Edmund Monk, said: "With thousands of training vendors offering tens of thousands of courses, simply choosing a suitable one is difficult enough, let alone being assured that it will deliver to expectations. Although peer reviews can help, the only reliable way to determine that a learning program meets the highest quality standards is by an audit from an independent industry body. By completing the LPI's Learning Program Endorsement, New Horizons has demonstrated, beyond all doubt, that its Leadership and Professional Development suite of courses ticks every box and delivers a commercially relevant and superb learner experience on all levels."

Kevin Rock, Senior Director Products and Programs, New Horizons, said: "New Horizons has received the highest possible endorsement ranking from the Learning & Performance Institute, placing our Center for Leadership and Professional Development program in the top 5% of the industry for training quality and customer satisfaction. This globally-recognized, independent recognition affirms our position as a world-leading supplier of training."

About Learning & Performance Institute
Learning & Performance Institute (LPI) is an independent, well-established and globally recognized accreditation body. Whether you are a provider or a purchaser, it's critical that any training courses you deploy are of the highest standard. Learning Programme Endorsement (LPE) provides an independent validation of quality and efficacy, backed by the LPI's globally-recognised accreditation service. Once endorsed, you can display the appropriate LPI logo and endorsement statement on your publicity materials. More information on Learning Program Endorsement (LPE) can be found at https://www.thelpi.org/endorsement.

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers
New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT training solutions have kept businesses—from startups to global enterprises—ahead of the technology curve for 35 years. With 300 learning centers in 70 countries around the world, New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world’s largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Partner, IBM Authorized Training Provider and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit our global website at www.newhorizons.com

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/19/title/New-Horizons-Named-One-of-the-Top-20-IT-Training-Companies-for-the-10th-Year-in-a-Row-by-TrainingIndustry.comNew Horizons Named One of the Top 20 IT Training Companies for the 10th Year in a Row by TrainingIndustry.comThu, 7 Dec 2017 14:29:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/19/title/New-Horizons-Named-One-of-the-Top-20-IT-Training-Companies-for-the-10th-Year-in-a-Row-by-TrainingIndustry.com
Conshohocken, PA — December 7, 2017 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers today announced that it is named as one of the top 20 IT training companies on TrainingIndustry.com’s annual Top 20 IT Training Companies List. We’ve been honored with this designation for the past ten years in a row!

This year, the Top 20 IT Training Companies List was based on the following criteria:

Breadth and quality of IT training content and courses

Leadership and innovation in IT training

Company size and growth potential

Quality and number of clients/users

Awards, recognition and competitive differentiation

“The companies on this year’s Top 20 IT Training Companies List lead the way in providing IT infrastructure, programming and database training,” said Ken Taylor, president of Training Industry, Inc. “The companies selected for the 2017 IT Training Companies Top 20 List have adapted their content and courses over time to accommodate learner preferences and desired delivery modalities.”

Training Industry spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies and best practices within the training industry. The company publishes the annual Training Industry Top 20 and Training Industry Watch List reports covering many sectors of interest to the corporate training function. Our focus is on helping dedicated businesses and training professionals get the information, insight and tools needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT and Business Training solutions have kept businesses—from startups to global enterprises—ahead of the technology curve for over 35 years. With 300 learning centers in 70 countries around the world, New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world’s largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Partner, IBM Authorized Training Provider and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit our global website at www.newhorizons.com.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/18/title/New-Horizons-Computer-Learning-Centers-Awarded-the---2018-Military-Friendly-Schools®-Designation--New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Awarded the
2018 Military Friendly Schools® Designation
Wed, 6 Dec 2017 12:38:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/18/title/New-Horizons-Computer-Learning-Centers-Awarded-the---2018-Military-Friendly-Schools®-Designation--
Conshohocken, PA — November 21, 2017 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers is excited to announce our designation as a 2018 Military Friendly Schools® Designation. This will be the sixth consecutive year receiving this award. The 2018 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

MilitaryFriendlySchools.com is one of the most recognized resources for Veterans looking to use VA benefits including their Post 9/11 GI Bill. MilitaryFriendlySchools.com is part of Military.com; one of the most highly trafficked Veteran resources on the web today.

“This recognition is a great honor for New Horizons and brings validation that our training programs are an excellent option for Veteran Students who what to enter of further their careers in the IT industry,” said Shelley Morris, executive vice president and chief strategy officer. “Veterans from all over the country will now see New Horizons as a premier training provider focusing on training our Veteran students. This is recognition promotes New Horizons ability and desire to assist Veteran students in furthering their career goals.”

The Military Friendly® School scoring methodology is applied to more than 8,800 institutions that accept federal education benefits for veterans, across the spectrum of degree programs and institution types. The 2018 list will identify those schools meeting the Military Friendly® standard.

To be designated as a 2018 Military Friendly® School, institutions must have completed the survey to verify that their institution’s accreditation and federal status are in good standing, and that they meet at least three of six of the “50/20” benchmarks. These benchmarks measure an institution’s commitment to be “better for veterans” in meaningful outcome measures: graduation rate, retention rate, loan default rate, and job placement rate.

About Military Friendly®:
The Military Friendly® Employers and Military Friendly® Schools designation process includes extensive research and a data-driven survey of leading companies and colleges nationwide. The survey, methodology, criteria and weightings are developed with the assistance of an independent advisory council of educators and employers, and tested by EY based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. The survey is administered for free. Criteria for consideration and recipients of the designation can be found at: https://militaryfriendly.com.

About Victory Media:
Founded in 2001, Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur®, STEM JobsSM and Military Friendly® brands. Learn more about Victory Media at www.victorymedia.com.

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers
New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT training solutions have kept businesses—from startups to global enterprises—ahead of the technology curve for 35 years. With 300 learning centers in 70 countries around the world, New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world’s largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Partner, IBM Authorized Training Provider and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit our global website at www.newhorizons.com.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40167778/title/Azure-makes-gains-in-cloud-infrastructure-marketAzure makes gains in cloud infrastructure marketMon, 20 Nov 2017 16:08:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40167778/title/Azure-makes-gains-in-cloud-infrastructure-market
With billions of dollars on the line, it's no wonder that companies all over the world are fighting over the cloud services market. Although there are countless providers out there, Amazon Web Services has reigned supreme for the past few years.

With around 40 percent of the 2016 public cloud services market according to Synergy Research Group, AWS is the clear winner when it comes to this new technology. However, many are starting to see the cracks in the facade of this giant.

While AWS is still dominating, the Synergy Research Group report also found that the 40 percent market share didn't change at all between 2015 and 2016. Clearly, something is stopping AWS from growing as much as it used to. One of the main reasons for this is Microsoft's Azure cloud platform is growing by leaps and bounds.

Azure has always been a main contender for cloud technology dominance, but just recently the platform has started to show signs of breaking from the pack and making a move for the top spot. So, what is Azure doing to secure its position in the world and what can you do to utilize this information for your career?

Azure is growing faster than anyone else

Unlike Amazon's cloud service, Azure is making major headway when it comes to overall cloud market share growth. According to additional research from Synergy Research Group, Amazon's market share and revenue growth expanded 1 percent in the four quarters before Q2 2017. While that does show marked improvement over the previous years numbers, it pales in comparison to what Microsoft is doing.

The Synergy Research Group study found that in the same time period Microsoft's Azure grew an incredible 3 percent. Not only did Azure triple what both Amazon and Google put out, they also managed to grow exponentially while the rest of the market took a 5 percent hit.

Although there's a lot of ground to be gained between AWS and Azure, it's clear that Microsoft has carved itself out a solid second place for now. What's more, AWS has been on the top of the cloud services game for years now, and many can see complacency setting in for a company that's dominated such a lucrative market for so long. This could be Microsoft's big chance to move up in the cloud market, and that would mean a major career boost for those with knowledge concerning this technology.

Why is Azure doing so well?

With Microsoft doing so well, the question remains: Why is Azure growing so much? Again, this could be seen as the company in second place working hard to take away the top spot from Amazon, but The Register's Gavin Clarke has a different take on the matter.

He stated that Microsoft is using familiarity with products like Windows and Office to boost its overall credibility within the cloud market. The idea seems to be that people have loved these Microsoft products for so long that pairing them with its cloud offerings in the mind of customers is a sure way to increase Azure's worth.

How can you use this to your advantage?

Microsoft's Azure cloud platform is clearly growing at an exponential rate. Whether it tops Amazon or not remains to be seen, but the company has at least created a place for itself as the second most important player in the marketplace.

Even if Microsoft does manage to become the biggest cloud services provider in the game, such a feat would take a lot of time. Therefore, it makes sense for people working with the cloud to receive training with this technology as soon as possible. Microsoft's Azure is going to be around for a long time, and gaining knowledge in this field will be useful for years to come.

Thankfully, there's a simple solution to this in the form of New Horizons computer training classes. New Horizons has a wide range of courses in the cloud, but there are Azure-specific classes that can help boost your knowledge in a field that's clearly going to grow in the years to come.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40167773/title/What-does-project-management-look-like-in-the-age-of-cloud-enabled-work-forces?What does project management look like in the age of cloud-enabled work forces?Mon, 20 Nov 2017 16:02:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40167773/title/What-does-project-management-look-like-in-the-age-of-cloud-enabled-work-forces?
It's impossible to escape the cloud in the business world these days, and for good reason. The technology is changing every sector out there, and it's allowing employees to work harder and more efficiently than ever before. In fact, the cloud is so successful that Gartner believes the public cloud will be worth a whopping $411 billion by 2020.

Clearly, there's a bright future for the cloud in enterprise. While this is good for both employers and consumers, the implementation of such a revolutionary technology can seem daunting to those who aren't familiar with it. Specifically, many project managers are wondering how the cloud is going to affect their position.

Change is scary, but the benefits the cloud seriously outweigh the time and effort required to understand and integrate it. To that end, let's explore what the cloud means for project managers and how these people can adapt to this new technology.

The cloud simplifies everything

When it comes to productivity, the cloud is king. To begin, the technology allows people to access apps and other critical tools for the project from anywhere at anytime. What's more, utilizing a cloud service means you'll gain access to the knowledgeable IT employees of that vendor, which can seriously lower the amount of overall downtime.

The cloud can be your best friend if you let it.

Of course, all of these benefits aren't lost on business leaders. A study from Clutch found that around half of survey respondents said that efficiency was the biggest advantage they got out of the cloud.

As a project manager, the most important aspect of your job is to ensure a particular task is done as quickly and as effectively as possible. This includes utilizing outside resources to the best of your ability.

As The Balance pointed out, project managers working with a modern cloud deployment generally don't have team members working on design and architecture. It's simply more effective to rely on the vendor's employees for these tasks, which can drastically change how a project takes shape. Understanding this is key for future success in the field.

Having a deep knowledge base helps

Life is hard for project managers. Being in a position of power can be fulfilling, but it also requires you to keep tabs on the development of technologies that can completely change your field. This is especially true of the cloud.

What the cloud was 10 years ago isn't even remotely what it is now, and that's clearly going to change in the next 10 years. Therefore, staying on top of this ever-evolving innovation takes a lot of work. In fact, TechTarget stated that the best course of action for project managers trying to stay ahead of the curve is to study up on cloud computing terminology.

For many, the simplest solution here is to enroll in a New Horizons cloud computing course. For years, New Horizons has been at the forefront for computer education, and we've carved out specific skills and knowledge you'll need to succeed. Our long list of cloud computing classes can help you brush up on your understanding of the field, thereby giving you more tools and resources to do well.

On top of that, we have a multitude of courses on project management in the modern world. These classes start at the basics of what's needed in this role, but they build up to certain skills that many master project managers may not even know. Through a combination of these courses with those focused on cloud computing technologies, you'll be ready to adapt to anything the job market throws at you.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40167333/title/Has-the-cloud-tipping-point-been-reached?Has the cloud tipping point been reached?Thu, 9 Nov 2017 17:04:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40167333/title/Has-the-cloud-tipping-point-been-reached?
Cloud computing used to be a fringe concept. Its predecessors - such as time sharing systems and thin clients - go back decades, but it wasn't until the launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure in the late 2000s that it really took off. It's now so thoroughly in the mainstream that a core consumer-facing Apple service - iCloud, which is backed by AWS and Azure assets - has "cloud" right in its name.

On the business side, growth in the adoption of comparable cloud solutions that follow the Infrastructure-, Platform- and Software-as-a-Service service models has rapidly eaten into the share of IT spend going toward traditional hardware and software:

If these current trends hold, cloud would reach what Cringely called a tipping point. But what does that mean for IT professionals and their departments?

Cloud computing represents a new era in IT.

How the cloud computing tipping point compares to its predecessors

We can think of corporate IT as having evolved through seven key eras, similar to how life on earth has changed over time. These eras are:

1. Batch computing

From the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, what we would now call computing was performed with punch cards and programming languages such as FORTRAN. This type of computing was noninteractive but had advantages in processing large amounts of stored data, either on cards or tape.

2. Timesharing

Introduced and refined in the 1950s and 1960s, timesharing was sort of proto-cloud. It allowed multiple users to concurrently access a centralized CPU, which had sufficient resources to serve all of them simultaneously.

3. Home/personal computers

PCs originally were driven by command-line interfaces that could efficiently execute many tasks with the right commands, but weren't super user-friendly. Their evolution eventually initiated a fourth major era, characterized by...

4. ...GUIs

A graphical user interface (GUI) presents an easily navigable layer on top of the operating system. When you click or tap on icons to open apps or perform action, you're using a GUI. All major operating systems (OSes) such as Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS have GUIs.

5. Internet protocol (IP) networks

The rise of the World Wide Web in the 1990s did for the internet what GUIs did for PC OSes: make it simpler to use. The web and IP initiated a shift in power away from native on-machine applications to websites.

6. Mobile

Beginning with the original iPhone in 2007, PC-grade OSes were downsized to run on IP-enabled mobile hardware such as cellphones and tablets. These devices are now the primary way many people access the internet, while their raw computing power is often comparable to a laptop.

"Cloud has become deeply interwoven with today's OSes, applications and websites."

7. Cloud

Cloud has become deeply interwoven with today's OSes, applications and websites, to the extent that many of them are basically nothing more than interfaces for accessing cloud resources behind the scenes. For example, every app from Instagram to Office 365 has at one time relied on AWS or Azure.

Cloud turned out to be a "next big thing" that actually panned out, unlike duds such as early virtual reality headsets or 1980s-era artificial intelligence. As an IT professional, it will be a central skill to have in almost any context.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166726/title/Ransomware:-The-signature-malware-threat-of-2017Ransomware: The signature malware threat of 2017Mon, 30 Oct 2017 01:43:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166726/title/Ransomware:-The-signature-malware-threat-of-2017
There's still a little bit of 2017 left, but barring a major cybersecurity incident during the winter holidays, it's already clear which threats will define the year. While many new malware specimens emerged in 2017 - a record 7.41 million, according to the G Data Security Blog, - the most high-profile ones were mostly ransomware.

A tale of three major ransomware threats

Ransomware does exactly what its name describes: It takes your data and demands payment for its return. The basic design hasn't changed in decades, although recent variants have upped the ante with strong encryption of stolen files as well as more efficient delivery mechanisms.

For example, the headline-grabbing WannaCry threat took advantage of a flaw in the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol of Microsoft Windows to jump between internet-connected devices. The similar NotPetya had a similar structure - it even exploited the same vulnerability - but was more difficult to mitigate due to the absence of a built-in kill switch for automatic deactivation.

The Bad Rabbit ransomware could spread through drive-by downloads on compromised websites.

Rising to the challenge presented by modern ransomware

In a webinar hosted by New Horizons Computer Learning Center, the presenter examined the topic of cyber responders, who are sort of like the firefighters of cybersecurity. Cyber responders have important roles to play in reducing the risks of threats such as ransomware.

In situations involving truly novel threats - like WannaCry, NotPetya and Bad Rabbit at the respective times of their debuts - a cyber responder can provide the unique insights needed for identifying them, even when an automated system might not catch them. Cyber responders also contribute to organizationwide preparations for subsequent threats.

Ultimately, they improve the value of platforms such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions and by doing so strengthen defenses against ransomware. Are you ready to take the next step in mastering tools such as SIEM and understanding the risks of modern malware?

If you are, learn more on our cybersecurity page, which includes overviews of our many security-related certifications and program tracks. Our webinars page also features the full cyber responder talk and many similar resources for expanding your knowledge.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166725/title/How-software-defined-networking-changes-network-securityHow software-defined networking changes network securityMon, 30 Oct 2017 01:37:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166725/title/How-software-defined-networking-changes-network-security
What is software-defined networking (SDN)? As far as IT concepts go, it's relatively new. It refers to the separation of the control and data planes on a network. In layman's terms, this shift means decisions about how and where packets of information are routed can be made in software by a "smart" CPU, instead of determined by the "dumb" lower-level systems.

Ideally, SDN makes networks more responsive to changing business requirements while cutting capital expenditures, since hardware upgrades become less important and commodity equipment can even be used with some SDN protocols. At the same time, it can create new network security risks.

A single point of failure: If the controller housing the SDN's decision-making capabilities is compromised, the entire network could grind to a halt or be enlisted into a botnet.

Additional infrastructural weak points: Depending on how SDN is implemented, network switches can also become so vulnerable that their hijacking could allow an attacker to control all traffic flows.

New planning requirements: SDN architectures must be properly planned, in terms of how their resources and policies are set up, or else they won't deliver significant benefits over traditional alternatives.

The time to think about SDN security vulnerabilities is now, since the technology is still in its infancy. A report from Grand View Research estimated the total SDN market at $472.4 million in 2015 - a large number, but relatively small in the context of the trillions of dollars spent each year worldwide on IT. Between 2016 and 2024, the market is expanded to expand rapidly, driven by a 43.3 percent compound annual growth rate among telecommunications service providers - a key constituency.

Software-defined networking is a big change for IT networks.

Its growth will hinge on security. There's a silver lining to SDN's security features, notably its ability to build exclusively valid routes through a network so all packets conform to policies at all times, as Tom Nolle of CIMI Corporation discussed in a bit more technical detail in a guest post for TechTarget. But expert planning will be essential in minimizing the unique risks of SDN.

What's next in securing the networks of tomorrow?

SDN can be implemented in many ways. For example, one popular variant is the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), which utilizes the decision-making prowess of SDN to steer network traffic across a variety of link types (e.g., Ethernet, MPLS, LTE, etc.) and prioritize it by application. An analyst at IT research firm Gartner proclaimed that SD-WAN has reached "mainstream" status by the summer of 2017, with tens of thousands of active deployments.

"Expert planning will be essential in minimizing the unique risks of SDN."

Like SDN in general, SD-WAN in particular requires a careful and comprehensive security strategy. Many SD-WAN vendors have set up integrations with third-party security applications that offer encryption and secure connectivity between corporate networks and public/hybrid clouds. We can see considerable complexity here in connecting the different "dots" of IT infrastructure and vetting all the necessary solutions, but a successful SD-WAN or other SDN architecture is possible.

With an eye toward the growth of SDN/SD-WAN and the accompanying security challenges, IT professionals should invest in trainings and certifications to ensure that they're ready. At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can acquire everything you need for a rewarding career in IT. We offer numerous vendor-specific and general certifications, including CompTIA Security+. Check out our cybersecurity page as well as our webinars archive to learn more.

The top network security threats businesses face today aren’t new. But increased mobile device usage and advancements in technology have made them more dangerous than ever before.

Here are six security threats to keep top of mind and how to prevent them.

1. Ransomware

Ransomware isn’t a new network security threat, but blockchain technology is making it more popular. Now, cybercriminals can demand payment anonymously over the dark web and avoid prosecution altogether.

Ransomware cost small and medium-sized businesses nearly $75 billion each year — but you don’t have to let your business contribute to this upward trend. Protect your organization from ransomware attacks by:

2. Botnets

A botnet is an army of computers that a single hacker controls.

You become part of a botnet when malware infects your device. This usually happens when someone downloads or runs outdated or pirated software or clicks on links in fraudulent emails. A botnet hacker’s mission is to take control of as many endpoints as possible and run mass-scale attacks.

You may or may not notice when you’ve become part of a botnet. Cybercriminals use them for everything from stealthy click fraud to painfully obvious Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which slow down a computer so it becomes inoperable.

You can prevent botnets from taking over your organization’s devices by:

Configuring your network to block invaders

Updating applications automatically

Teaching employees not to click or download suspicious pop-ups, emails or programs

3. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

DDoS is more prevalent than ever before as a result of increased devices in the workplace. In these instances, cybercriminals use thousands of IP addresses to direct massive amounts of web traffic to an online service. The onslaught of traffic slows down the service and makes it unusable.

DDoS can affect anyone who uses cloud services or online platforms. It can also be disastrous for ecommerce businesses. A DDoS attack that lasts one day can result in millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Standard methods to guard against DDoS include:

Purchasing more bandwidth

Distributing servers across multiple data centers with load balancing

Learning to think like a hacker can also help you protect your network. Training courses like EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker teach you how to test, analyze, block and mitigate attacks like DDoS.

4. Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking is a new network security threat brought to you by blockchain technology. Hackers trick users into installing cryptomining code on their devices. Once installed, the code allows the hacker to use the victim’s computer processor to make money on the dark web.

Like other attacks, users become victims of cryptojacking by clicking on a phishing email or online ad, resulting in downtime, performance issues and huge payouts for users or companies.

You can prevent cryptojacking by installing the following browser extensions and continuously educating employees about cyber safety:

5. Phishing

Phishing is another tried-and-true cybercrime that’s gaining momentum due to the rise in mobile device usage.

Hackers use inventive ways to trick employees into revealing usernames, passwords and other sensitive or personal information. Phishers are getting more and more sophisticated — using SSL certificates, creating fake login pages and even replicating two-step authentication.

As long as these advancements continue, security professionals will have to keep phishing top of mind. Large organizations with many employees and devices will always be at risk — phishers simply have more entry points for obtaining information.

To keep staff on alert, consider requiring employees to take CyberSAFE, a course that teaches non-technical users how to safely navigate technology.

6. Unprepared Network Security Staff

Technology is growing at lightning speed. As organizations move to the cloud, allow more employee devices and adopt new ways of doing business, cybercrimes will increase.

While ransomware, phishing, cryptojacking and the other invasions put businesses at risk, the biggest network security threat is a poorly trained network security professional.

Whether you’re an analyst, manager or admin, you must stay on top of security best practices and continuously learn new prevention tactics. Get the education you need today with New Horizons cybersecurity training.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166368/title/What-is-a-threat-hunter?What is a threat hunter?Fri, 20 Oct 2017 11:12:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166368/title/What-is-a-threat-hunter?
Cybersecurity has plenty of unique acronyms and buzzwords to describe its unique concepts, challenges and solutions. One of the more recent ones to grab attention is the idea of the "threat hunter," as discussed in an October 2017 New Horizons Computer Learning Center webinar.

Defining the threat hunter

A threat hunter is essentially a cybersecurity analyst who can offer expertise above and beyond what an automated defense system can typically deliver. Threat hunters as a group are often characterized as:

Proactive: They scour networks to find advanced threats that may have eluded traditional reactive defenses, which often only check events against pre-established blacklists and whitelists.

Creative: Threat hunters can uncover these sophisticated problems by picking up on subtle anomalies, such as the characteristics of a spear-phishing email asking the recipient to open a compromised attachment.

Network-savvy: Effective threat hunters know how information flows across their respective organizations' networks, how those flows can be disrupted and what endpoints exist in the infrastructure.

Broadlyknowledgeable: In addition to their security awareness and network savviness, threat hunters are acutely aware of the unique cultures and requirements of their organizations, allowing them to fine-tune their techniques when identifying issues such as privilege escalation.

Moreover, the threat hunter is usually presented in opposition to artificial intelligence (AI) and automated protections. Unlike AI, the value is in the person, rather than in any software. Threat hunting is not an automated task, so there are no AI-triggered alerts or signatures.

How threat hunters operate in modern security environments

Cybersecurity is not exclusively about threat hunting. The scope of the current malware threat still requires some degree of automation to keep up with the many fresh issues that emerge every day. G Data Software projected there will be 7.1 million new malware specimens in 2017, up from 6.8 million in 2016.

Not all of these strains will turn out to be real-world dangers to IT infrastructure and data. However, identifying which ones might be problematic, as well as determining if mission-critical systems are at risk, are responsibilities that might fall to a threat hunter working in conjunction with automated systems. The threat hunter will supplement these tools, resulting in more complete coverage against relevant risks.

Accordingly, threat hunters must have a baseline of technical knowledge. Key concepts to understand include Layers 2 and 3 of network as defined in the Open Systems Interconnection model, ICS/SCADA security, business process and - perhaps most importantly - how different technologies interface with each other.

For example, threat hunters often focus on gaps in security architectures, which can allow threats to enter. Such interstices include physical access to facilities (e.g., data centers and server rooms), ICS/SCADA systems in factories, business email systems, mobile/web applications such as Facebook and wireless access point security.

Threat hunter assumptions, focus areas and key verticals

Threat hunters usually assume that these systems they investigate have already been breached in some capacity. Their jobs are to hunt down the causes of the compromise and recommend an appropriate solution.

"A threat hunter will use a mix of technical and practical measures."

To this end, a threat hunter will use a mix of technical and practical measures. Deep-packet inspection, behavioral analytics gathering and assessments of vulnerability data might all be synthesized in order to put a given threat in context. Afterward, a threat hunter might provide a synopsis of his/her findings with visual aides to convey the risks to the organization.

Threat hunters may focus their efforts on vulnerabilities related to specific pieces of equipment (an infrastructure-centric approach), problematic individuals who have system access (user-centric) or particular functions/process (business-centric). Many threat hunters pursue these routes on an ad hoc basis for companies, since threat hunting is still a relatively new concept in cybersecurity and as such doesn't always receive dedicated attention or personnel.

According to the 2017 SANS Institute Threat Hunting Survey, 45 percent of respondents admitted to performing ad hoc threat hunting. More than 90 percent also reported improvements in detection and accuracy as a result of their threat hunting initiatives. The verticals that relied most heavily on threat hunting included financial services, government, high tech, telecommunications and healthcare.

How can someone become a professional threat hunter?

Working as an in-demand threat hunter requires knowledge of numerous technical domains as well as the overall ability to collaborate well with stakeholders across an entire organization. One place to start is with one of the many modern cybersecurity certifications, such as a CompTIA Security+ certification.

There are many other credentials worth exploring, too, including the vendor-specific ones offered at New Horizons Computer Learning Center. To find out more about your options, visit our main cybersecurity page and take a look at our webinars page to view upcoming and past talks on security-related topics.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166212/title/Protecting-critical-infrastructure:-The-challenges-of-defending-antiquated-IT-systemsProtecting critical infrastructure: The challenges of defending antiquated IT systemsTue, 17 Oct 2017 16:27:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166212/title/Protecting-critical-infrastructure:-The-challenges-of-defending-antiquated-IT-systems
In an executive order dated May 11, 2017, President Donald Trump issued new guidance on "strengthening the cybersecurity for federal networks and critical infrastructure." A key line in this document reads: "The executive branch has for too long accepted antiquated and difficult–to-defend IT." Also included were instructions for all federal agency heads to quickly come up with plans for implementing the Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF) developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). That framework was originally published in February 2014 and updated in early 2017 as a guide to the protection of critical infrastructure. It recommends a risk-based approach to security, with five key functions: identify, protect, detect, respond and recover.

Critical infrastructure was defined in a 2013 executive order by then-President Barack Obama as "systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters." Taking the two orders together, it is apparent that there are many IT systems that are both vital to numerous interests and highly vulnerable to cyberattack due to their age and/or design. What concrete actions are being taken to resolve this problem?

A critical piece of the puzzle: The National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework

An online application called Cyberseek for helping match candidates with relevant job openings.

More specifically, the NCWF defines seven "work role detail listings" that also correspond to the NCSF functions. These listings are: Securely Provision, Operate and Maintain, Oversee and Govern, Protect and Defend, Analyze, Collect and Operate and Investigate.

Older browsers, applications and operating systems are difficult to defend from cyberattacks.

Current and aspiring cybersecurity professionals have no shortage of guidance from NICE/NIST on how to approach the numerous challenges associated with defending complex IT systems in 2017 and beyond. However, what is the actual context for the NCSF and NCWF, in terms of the facts on the ground for cyberattacks against and vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure?

A closer look at "antiquated and difficult-to-defend IT"

The 2017 executive order broadly defined this context, citing the stereotype of outdated public sector IT systems. The U.S. federal government has been notorious for its reliance on outdated operating systems, applications and standards.

"Many PCs run Windows XP, which hasn't been officially supported since 2014."

For example, Defense One reported in April 2017 on the Pentagon's ongoing push to upgrade its machines to Windows 10; many PCs run Windows XP, which hasn't been officially supported since 2014. Others are somehow still saddled with Windows 98 and 95, with the crucial caveat that they are not connected to the internet and thus safe from many types of malware. But the rise of the Internet of Things has extended internet connectivity to many devices that previously lacked it and could eventually put these systems at risk, too.

Many state governments, not to mention private corporations and individuals, face similar issues:

In rare cases, older technology can be more secure than any newer alternative, simply by virtue of not being able to connect to the internet. More often though, it is less secure due to its lack of the latest security standards and features. NCSF, NCFW and general best practices for a more effective cybersecurity posture demand constant attention to ensuring adequate, up-to-date defenses.

How to start your journey to becoming a cybersecurity professional

There is immense demand for cybersecurity expertise at the moment. The broad overhaul of federal IT systems as well as the growing risk of data breaches in the public and private sectors will necessitate a major influx of talent. The entire NCFW is dedicated to shaping this workforce to uphold NCSF.

Becoming a cybersecurity professional requires specific training. At a New Horizons Computer Learning Center, you can earn a wide range of certifications including ones from CompTIA, itSM Solutions, EC Council and others. Learn more by viewing our cybersecurity page and be sure to also check out the webinars archive for in-depth discussions of security topics.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166038/title/Why-a-lack-of-network-security-knowledge-could-be-your-companys-cyber-blind-spotWhy a lack of network security knowledge could be your companys cyber blind spotThu, 12 Oct 2017 17:39:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40166038/title/Why-a-lack-of-network-security-knowledge-could-be-your-companys-cyber-blind-spot
Network security is inevitably complex. Done properly, it covers the full scope of IT, from general awareness of applicable regulations and policies all the way down to the protection of specific data sets. With National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in full swing, is your network ready for today's most advanced threats? Or does it have major blind spots?

In a recent webinar hosted by a New Horizons Computer Learning Center, the presenter - EC-Council - focused on the concept of Defense In Depth (DID) to demonstrate the ideal extent of modern network security. A DID-guided implementation would cover the following seven areas, with network security an important component within each of them:

1. Policies, procedures and awareness

Organizations must secure their bring-your-own-device (BYOD) deployments, email accounts and passwords. Doing so requires a mix of specific technical tools - such as adeptly managed firewalls, password reset mechanisms and multi-factor authentication - and broader policy adherence, including compliance with standards such as PCI DSS and HIPAA.

2. Physical security

This is a frequently overlooked domain. What if someone could walk in and steal a hard drive from your data center? What if a BYOD-enabled device could not be remotely wiped after it's stolen? Poor physical security amplifies the risk from insider threats, which are hard to detect and especially common in industries like healthcare, finance and education that invest heavily in breach remediation, according to the Ponemon Institute.

3. Perimeter defense

This category refers to all of the points at which an internal IT network interfaces with the outside world. The solutions designed to protect the perimeter are critical in warding off threats such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS campaigns have become increasingly problematic as botnets have proliferated, fueled by devices across the Internet of Things.

How long would it take you to discover a breach of your network?

4. Internal network

At this level, security personnel have to pay attention to switches, routers, servers and other self-managed infrastructure. Flaws are distressingly common in such equipment. For example, a recent revelation demonstrated a simple firewall bypass in numerous routers used for home and small-business internet service. Some pieces of infrastructure also have hard-coded passwords - i.e., unencrypted passwords included in source code by manufactures - that can expose them to additional attacks.

5. Host

Keeping patches, system upgrades and antivirus software updated is essential. It protects data and systems from exploits specifically targeted outdated architectures and since-closed loopholes. A 2017 survey of 35,000 companies across multiple industries found that in two of the most vulnerable sectors - education and government - more than one-quarter of all Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS installations were outdated. There were similar numbers for the major web browsers at these firms.

6. Application

Not all applications in use at an organization have been approved by the IT department. This phenomenon, known as "shadow IT," is considerable. Everest Group has estimated that shadow IT could account for half of all IT spend. Mechanisms such as blacklists, whitelists and firewalls are key for ensuring that only trusted applications are used by workers.

"Not all applications in use at an organization have been approved by the IT department."

7. Data

Encryption of data used to be relatively rare, at least on the web. It took 20 years - from 1995 to 2015 - for the percentage of encrypted traffic to reach 40 percent. However, it reached 50 percent by the end of 2016, according to Mozilla. The uses of encryption are expanding, with full-disk encryption now readily available in many PCs. Encryption is one of several options for securing data, alongside other such as hashing and the setting of access permissions.

What happens when network security falls short?

We have a pretty clear blueprint, through DID, for all the domains a modern network security strategy must address. However, it is not always possible for organizations to execute even well-designed security plans. There are numerous obstacles, including:

Lack of personnel: Many IT security positions are unfilled. Symantec CEO noted that 1.5 million such jobs would still be empty by 2019.

Tight budgets: Modest budget adjustments, as documented by Spiceworks in its annual State of IT Report, leave little room to bring on experienced personnel.

Unknown unknowns: While known threats are easy to prepare against, there are others that IT departments do not even realize they are unprepared for. Zero-day exploits and "low and slow" advanced persistent threats fit into this category.

Without a fully fleshed-out network security program, it's impossible to develop appropriate defenses or even to know what to tailor them against. Attacks go undiscovered for weeks or even months. A 2016 Accenture report found that 51 percent of surveyed enterprise security practitioners took months to find sophisticated breaches, while one-third of all successful intrusions were never found at all.

Developing a better approach to network security

Effective network security requires a multipronged approach that is scalable across an entire organization. Strategy must include measures for raising awareness of best practices (which are critical for thwarting specific threats such as spear-phishing), not just for implementing the latest and greatest technical solutions.

At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can acquire the skills and certifications to become an in-demand IT security professional well-versed in the central challenges in network security today. View our complete course listings as well as our extensive webinar archive to learn more about how you can take your career to the next level.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165661/title/90%-of-cyberattacks-traced-back-to-human-error:-Making-cybersecurity-a-workplace-culture90% of cyberattacks traced back to human error: Making cybersecurity a workplace cultureTue, 3 Oct 2017 14:55:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165661/title/90%-of-cyberattacks-traced-back-to-human-error:-Making-cybersecurity-a-workplace-culture
How do cyberattacks happen? It's a simple question, but one that requires a complex answer.

The 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon is a good starting point in understanding the vast scope of possible attack vectors today's organizations face. The risks run the gamut from malicious insiders - individuals who misuse or escalate their access privileges - to external distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns.

The specific type of attack a given target is likely to face will vary widely, depending on its industry, size and the forms of data it handles. However, there is at least one common thread that runs through almost all cyberattacks: human error.

How human error both initiates and amplifies cyberattack damage

Employee negligence was a factor in two-thirds of the incidents it assessed.

External threats (18 percent) and extortion (2 percent) were much less common causes.

This huge gap may seem surprising at first, but it makes sense on some level: Think of how much easier it is for someone to leave a laptop in an unsecured location, than it is for a cyberattacker to successfully make it past the various defenses protecting a modern IT network.

Such theft of poorly secured devices and data is often only the start of trouble for victims. The information contained in them - such as passwords or sensitive records - may allow for subsequent breaches. Accordingly, it is common for firms that either know or suspect they have been attacked to mandate that their employees and/or customers reset their passwords. The global accounting firm Deloitte forced one such change in October 2016, when it first realized that someone may have infiltrated its IT infrastructure.

Email security is a common realm of human error.

What types of human error should you be concerned about?

The Willis Towers Watson assessment is not an outlier. The 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index found that 60 percent of all cyberattacks were carried out by insiders, with human error a major precipitator of such incidents. Some of the specific issues include:

1. Poorly managed administrator credentials

Administrator accounts are immensely powerful by definition. However, the security controls and failsafe measures for preventing their misuse are often inadequate. An easily guessed default password or the transmission of credentials via unsecured email can give unauthorized users all they need to cause trouble.

How do we know administrator account protections are not up to par? Consider the many changes to administrator privileges in Microsoft Windows Server 2016. It includes advanced features, such as "just enough administration," that vastly limit the scope and duration of administrator privileges.

It is always a good idea to implement such security measures if they make sense. Two-factor authentication - which requires an additional credential beyond the username/password combo - is also useful as an extra layer of protection against mistakes.

2. Misaddressed emails and other data leakage

Email is notorious for its porous security and propensity for data leakage. It's no surprise that numerous protective mechanisms - such as PGP encryption and automatic spam filters - have been tacked on to it over the years. It still has its shortcomings, however, if only because of its age.

What if someone sends an email containing sensitive data to the wrong address? This mishap is so common that a startup committed to solving the problem raised a $2.7 million round of funding in April 2017, according to VentureBeat.

"What if someone sends an email containing sensitive data to the wrong address?"

Its service is designed to cross-reference would-be recipients against historical company email data. But a better and likely more cost-effective option is to avoid the transmission of sensitive data in unencrypted email in the first place, so that a "wrong send" is not a catastrophe.

3. Falling for phishing

Phishing takes advantage of the weakest link in the security chain at many organizations: Its employees. An otherwise secure network can be vulnerable to phishing attacks, which attempt to entice email or social media users to follow malicious links.

The 2017 State of the Phish Report from Wombat Security Technologies found that over three-fourths (76 percent) of information had been victims of attempted phishing. The error is simple - clicking on something - but the consequences can be immense and may include the infection of a company network with malware.

Shoring up your security by changing your company culture

Cybersecurity isn't strictly about which technical solutions you implement. It's also about the kind of culture your organization creates. Are employees trained in how to identify phishing emails? Are there clear protocols for the exchange of sensitive information?

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165239/title/Microsoft-Is-On-A-Mission-To-Empower-The-Entire-WorkplaceMicrosoft Is On A Mission To Empower The Entire WorkplaceMon, 25 Sep 2017 14:58:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165239/title/Microsoft-Is-On-A-Mission-To-Empower-The-Entire-Workplace
Microsoft's dreams of empowering every person in the modern workplace are becoming reality.

Attendees at the annual Microsoft Ignite conference in Orlando were treated to a slew of new product announcements and software expansions, all of which take Microsoft's commercial software solutions to the next level. According to a Microsoft blog post, the company is increasingly focused on not only the current workforce but also those that will enter the job market via basic computer training.

Microsoft 365 Gets A New Audience

Back in July, the company launched Microsoft 365, a complete solution that bundled Office 365, Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security into one. Microsoft 365 was designed to be a "complete, intelligent solution" that would allow companies to meet employee requirements, connect a distributed workforce and provide the tools that solve customer and business problems.

At its launch, Microsoft 365 was described as a product that would allow people to work together both creatively and securely. As more companies undergo a digital transformation, there is a demonstrated need for workplaces to match the expectations of both employees and customers.

With effect from October 1, 2017, Microsoft 365 will be available to several new audiences that include educators, firstline workers (deemed to be people who engage customers first, for example) and non-profit organizations.

Microsoft 365 Education gives teachers, students and faculty everything that they require to work in the classroom. The product combines the three elements of the enterprise version and adds "Minecraft: Education Edition" into a single package. The latter element is especially interesting, as it acknowledges the role that immersive experiences can play in a child's educational development.

"We've learned from customers that we needed to make it easier to harness the power of the Microsoft toolset in schools," said Microsoft's vice president of education Anthony Scalito. "When we announced Microsoft 365 for Enterprise in July, we heard loud and clear this was the cloud-powered solution education customers wanted as well. Microsoft 365 Education is an exciting first step in evolving from a mix of products to an integrated, holistic experience that powers better learning outcomes."

Microsoft wants to empower every worker.

Enhancing The Global Workforce

Microsoft also wants to increase the role of the so-called firstline worker in the digital workplace. According to a blog post, these employees are often the backbone of every company and are—as the title suggests—the people "behind the counter, on the phone, in the clinics, on the shop floor and in the field." Microsoft estimates that around 80 percent of the global workforce are firstline workers, many of whom have not been part of a company's digital transformation.

With that in mind, Microsoft 365 F1 (which has no relationship to the motor racing category, sadly) has been designed with these brand ambassadors as the focus. The software product includes several enterprise-facing applications that firstline workers may not use in their daily working practices, including business class email, Microsoft StaffHub, SharePoint, Microsoft PowerApps and Yammer. In addition, Microsoft announced a range of affordable commercial devices from HP, Lenovo and Acer that are targeted squarely at the firstline working environment.

It should be noted that the company is also making some changes to its existing suite of tools in Microsoft 365. These enhancements include harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in Excel, personalized search capabilities in SharePoint, Bing for business (currently in private preview) and LinkedIn profile integration. All of these important changes or enhancements are expected to roll out in early 2018, Microsoft said.

For example, SharePoint and enterprise-focused social network tool Yammer will now form a more integrated system. Social networks are a ubiquitous part of the connected society, so it makes sense that an internal system should mirror the experiences that people have with non-work related communication tools. According to Microsoft's product marketing manager Connie Woo, the integration will allow people to:

Drive organizational transparency by sharing information and giving every employee a voice

Form a community around a shared topic of interest or area of practice

Achieve a shared objective through cross organizational initiatives and ideation

One tool that will not play a role in the augmented Microsoft 365 is Skype for Business. The application is being phased out in favor of Microsoft Teams, which will handle all the communication requirements in the workplace. Microsoft Teams is, according to yet another blog post, the key element of what the company called "intelligent communications," and will become the primary portal in Office 365.

"All of this is being built on a new, modern Skype infrastructure for enterprise-grade voice and video communications," said Microsoft's Lori Wright, in a dedicated Office 365 blog post. "Our next generation, cloud-born architecture is already powering communication experiences in Teams, and is evolving rapidly. We are excited about this new infrastructure because it will provide both speed of innovation as well as higher quality communication experiences."

Why Microsoft Office Training Matters

As you might expect from a Microsoft conference built around productivity, the announcements came early and often. The company has acknowledged on numerous occasions that its suite of workplace-centric tools have been designed to empower people, a mission statement that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella repeated in his conference keynote.

A full round up of everything announced so far at Microsoft Ignite can be found here.

Irrespective of when these new tools and applications are integrated into the workplace, the overarching concept for Microsoft 365 continues to be the streamlining of IT management and ongoing digitization of the workplace. And while Microsoft 365 reportedly makes it easy for companies to upskill employees, getting a Microsoft Office certification is an excellent way to take a deeper dive into productivity tools.

With so many new enhancements to existing Microsoft products, it is crucial that people take advantage of dedicated training programs. New Horizons Computer Learning Centers has over 300 locations spread across not only the continental United States but the globe and is an official Microsoft training partner.

Click here to find your local New Horizons or check out our webinars to find out the hot topics that the IT sector has on its collective mind. Alternatively, sign up for one of the dedicated IT courses and certifications that could push your career to a new level.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165159/title/Making-seamless-Office-365-email-integration-a-priorityMaking seamless Office 365 email integration a priorityFri, 22 Sep 2017 16:14:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165159/title/Making-seamless-Office-365-email-integration-a-priority
Cloud computing has a straightforward appeal. If you ever struggle to keep hardware and software up-to-date, spend a lot of money on basic IT infrastructure but never seem to have enough resources as your organization grows, then cloud software and infrastructure is probably the way to go. Over the past decade plus, consumption of cloud services has surged; IT research firm Gartner has estimated that worldwide public cloud spending would grow 18 percent in 2017, reaching $246.8 billion.

One of the biggest challenges in getting good return on investment from cloud services is making a smooth transition away from traditional on-premises IT (or performing a seamless integration, if you're keeping some of those legacy components). This is especially true with Microsoft services such as Office 365, which in many instances are replacing decades-old implementations.

A tale of two Exchanges

Consider the case of Exchange, Microsoft's age-old email and calendaring platform. Exchange Online in Office 365 is an attractive alternative to on-prem Exchange, since it offers advantages such as:

Scalability: You get guaranteed service levels for as many accounts as you need.

Security: You gain superior protections against hacking as well as natural disasters.

Updates: Exchange Online is always updated to the latest, so there's no need for arduous planned upgrades.

At the same time, there are some drawbacks to Exchange Online via Office 365, including the loss of administrative control as well as the difficulty of the initial migration. The respective pros and cons of Exchange represent the tradeoffs of cloud computing in a nutshell.

Seeking to strike a balance between the two major types of Exchange, many organizations have at least explored the possibility of switching to hybrid Exchange. Hybrid Exchange provides some flexibility in mail management across multiple environments (i.e., a corporate data center and the public cloud).

One of the key benefits is the ability to revert to on-prem Exchange if something goes wrong with the cloud-based infrastructure - an option that is not usually viable if you're working only with Exchange Online. There is also the ability to securely route mail to mailboxes regardless of their locations, take advantage of a single Outlook Web App URL and maintain one global address list.

However, such advantages are only attainable if you can seamlessly set up the hybrid Exchange implementation. There are several considerations to keep in mind during this process.

Exchange migration is always a major consideration when considering upgrading to Office 365.

Managing Office 365 groups in a hybrid Exchange environment

Handling different groups can be one of the more challenging aspects of hybrid Exchange setup. Not all groups are the same in respect to how they transfer from traditional Exchange to Office 365.

For example, Dynamic Distribution Groups are not easy to move from one environment to another. These groups refer to mail-enabled Active Directory (AD) objects that allow for the mass transmission of messages and miscellaneous data. They are built around queries on AD fields such as location. However, they cannot be migrated and must instead be manually recreated in Office 365.

Other group types aren't as tough to manage. Security and Distribution Groups can be migrated. Mail-enabled Security Groups are also transferrable, although adding mail functionality afterward must still be done manually.

In addition to the many groups that can be moved from an existing Exchange setup to Exchange Online, there are Office 365 Groups offering similar functionality. These groups are compatible with all of the most prominent Office 365 applications, including OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, SharePoint and others.

Want to further expand your knowledge Office 365? Read on for more details

Office 365 is a classic example of something that is easy to learn, but hard to master. Like many pieces of cloud software, its appeal is obvious but getting the most out of it can be tricky, due to the adjustments needed during the migration period.

At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can acquire the advanced knowledge of Office 365 and other Microsoft services you need to be competitive for many IT jobs. Visit our webinars page to get started with a look at our past and upcoming presentations. Then check out our course and certification listings to find the ones that fit your career goals.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165083/title/What-if-you-need-to-block-former-employees-Office-365-access?What if you need to block former employees Office 365 access?Thu, 21 Sep 2017 12:53:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40165083/title/What-if-you-need-to-block-former-employees-Office-365-access?
If you spend a lot of time in front of your computer at your job, you've probably used Microsoft Office in some form. Office 365 was the biggest step forward in the productivity suite's history, since it shifted the business model from perpetual licensing to renewable subscriptions. Plus, Office 365 paved the way for the migration of many important pieces of IT infrastructure - such as legacy Exchange implementations - to the cloud.

Access and security challenges in Office 365

As cloud-based software, Office 365 creates some new security challenges. One of the most notable is the need to manage access to data and applications by employees who may have left the company or done something else to merit being removed from a critical access control list. Failing to do so could result in a costly data breach, as demonstrated by some of the findings in the 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) from Verizon:

The healthcare, finance and public sectors are at especially high risk from what Verizon categorized as "Insider and Privilege Misuse."

More than 80 percent of incidents in this category were caused by insiders, who in many cases stole sensitive data with an eye toward selling it down the line.

Malicious insiders and privilege escalations accounted for 15 percent of all breaches documented by the 2017 DBIR. Most took months to be discovered.

With Office 365, preventing such security events requires a bit more effort than it did with previous on-premises versions of Office. The overall process is similar, but you do have to account for greater proliferation of mobile devices and integrated Office 365 applications. Let's explore the important steps in protecting an Office 365 implementation from privilege-related issues.

Password resets and account blocking

Resetting an account password is a common workflow with Office 365. When performing it for a departed employee, remember not to email them the new password.

This can also be accomplished by changing the sign-in status of the account in question to "Sign-in blocked." With this setting enabled, even a correct username and password will not permit a successful login.

Token management

Each service in Office 365 has its own session lifetime, i.e., the amount of time an authenticated user can stay signed-in before having to reauthenticate. For example, the Outlook Web App by default will require a new session after six hours, while SharePoint Online sessions will expire after five days of inactivity. Some services like Azure Active Directory have more complex setups utilizing access and refresh tokens, which together permit months-long authentication for users with valid login credentials.

Obviously, a long-term sign-in from an account that is no longer associated with someone at the company is a security problem. There are several options for ensuring that departed employees have no access to your Office 365 implementation.

One of the easiest routes is to use the Azure Active Directory PowerShell module. It contains a command (cmdlet) called Revoke-AzureADUserAllRefreshToken that sets all refresh token expiries for designated accounts to the current date and time. Accordingly, their users cannot reauthenticate and are instantly kicked out if they navigate to a new page, refresh the current one in their web browser or try to access another Office 365 application.

Forcing a sign-out from Office 365 can help protect you against privilege misuse.

Another option for forcing a sign-out

A sign-out can also be forced from the OneDrive settings menu, assuming that the targeted accounts have actually used OneDrive. The relevant option is buried within the properties overview of Office 365, under OneDrive Settings. Once located, it's a little more straightforward than navigating PowerShell.

"A sign-out can also be forced from the OneDrive settings menu."

There, you will find a button for initiating an immediate sign-out of all an account's Office 365 sessions across all of its associated devices. Note that the prompt for this invitation states that the user will be able to sign back in; however, if you have already performed the password reset, account blocking and/or PowerShell cmdlet, then the forced sign-out via OneDrive should do the trick in immediately and finally denying access to the problematic account.

How you can further improve your Office 365 skills

Despite its popularity and ease of use for many common tasks, Office 365 is at its core a complex architecture of services, requiring adept security management to keep security risks at bay. Managing access for departed accounts is in theory a daunting challenge. However, with the right knowledge of PowerShell and Office 365 Admin Center, it isn't so difficult.

There's plenty more to learn about Office 365 beyond account management. At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can dive into the advanced capabilities of Office 365 and other Microsoft solutions to sharpen your skills for a rewarding career in IT. Visit our webinars page as well as our complete course listings to learn more today.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164883/title/The-IT-Job-Market-In-2018-...-And-BeyondThe IT Job Market In 2018 ... And BeyondMon, 18 Sep 2017 15:23:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164883/title/The-IT-Job-Market-In-2018-...-And-Beyond
In 2015, General Electric's CEO Jeff Immelt raised more than a few eyebrows when he said that the company was on track to become one of the top 10 software companies in the world. In the minds of most people, GE was an industrial manufacturer, a builder of really big things and certainly not a company where coding or corporate computer training was a required skill.

Software was not only a key component of the workplace environment but also an extremely useful business tool that optimized both company performance and customer interaction. Taking that into account, he said, the traditional role of the IT department would need to evolve to meet the demands of the connected society. Fast forward to 2017 and Immelt's vision for the future is coming true.

Even before Immelt lumped GE in with companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, SAP et al., the plain and simple truth is that software is eating the world. Companies have accepted that they must undergo a digital transformation to remain competitive, a transformation that has put added pressure on IT teams to deliver experiences that satisfy both customers and employees.

The current high demand for qualified IT personnel means that there are literally hundreds of companies looking for people with the right skills to offer. And with the IT jobs market widely expected to grow significantly over the next few years, there are a number of tech-centric positions that—to quote former socialite Paris Hilton—are hot.

Taking advantage of the connected society

What IT Skills Will We Need?

The question is, what skills should people be looking to either develop through computer training courses or investigate further?

The latest Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies has identified three distinct trends that will shape the IT and tech jobs market for the foreseeable future. According to Gartner, companies should be focused on artificial intelligence, technology that offers "transparently immersive experiences" and digital platforms. All of these identified trends will create new chances for companies to interact with customers and business ecosystems and, in the long run, make them more competitive.

With that in mind, a recent survey of chief information officers, tech recruiters and IT professionals by tech magazine CIO said that companies were looking to hire people for a variety of digital roles. Some of these positions are obviously more high-tech than others, but as the process of digital transformation gathers pace then it will become increasingly important for enterprises to have the right skills in place.

"Companies need to fill a variety of digital roles."

As we noted above, artificial intelligence and machine learning are currently en vogue, as are immersive experiences such as virtual and augmented reality. Both of these tech sectors may seem to be more bleeding-edge as opposed to traditional IT requirements but there is little doubt that they will play a significant role in the near future. CIO said that virtual and augmented reality will provide an increased number of opportunities as more companies "embrace the virtual reality trend."

According to CIO, within the next 12 months there will also be a spike in demand for security analysts, cloud integrators, full-stack engineers, data scientists and Internet of Things engineers. None of these seemingly high-profile or specialized positions should come as a surprise, rather they just cement the notion of society that will be digital first on almost every level.

With the exception of full-stack engineers—somebody who can work on both the front-end and back-end portions of an application—these jobs dovetail with the technology that we often take for granted. We use the cloud every day, we generate data and we are all aware (in theory) of the potential for cyber security breaches.

Even the Internet of Things is not something to shy away from; depending on which analyst you believe there could be as many as 50 billion connected devices by 2020!

Bridging The Talent Gap

The ongoing concern is that the tech workers and IT professionals required to fill these positions are hard to find.

According to a recent CBinsights report cited by VentureBeat, the city that wins the right to be Amazon's second home will have to train or employ 17,000 software engineers. When you take into account that there are reportedly over 220,000 open positions for software developers in the United States alone, the challenge is not only to identify people with the right skills but train others to step up to the plate.

For example, an article published by Wired back in February of this year said that the next blue-collar job would be coding, the tech equivalent of "skilled work at a Chrysler plant." Blue-collar coders would not need to build algorithms for the next Spotify or neural networks, rather they would learn how to write JavaScript for, say, a local business. In addition, these people could be trained to build up technical knowledge that could be applied as IT positions continue to evolve within the digital economy.

"Work like that is correctly seen as a pillar of civil middle-class society," wrote Wired's Clive Thompson. "And it may yet be again. What if the next big blue-collar job category is already here—and it's programming?"

The good news is that obtaining IT certifications is not as daunting as it may seem. Resources such as New Horizon Computer Learning Centers exist to provide people with the skills required to both succeed and stand out in the IT jobs market.

For more information as to how New Horizon can put you on the path to an IT career, check out our list of locations. Alternatively you can tune in to one of our free webinars and see what IT topics are of interest. As we said, software is eating the world … so it seems logical to grab a fork and dive in.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164820/title/Why-Professional-Developers-Are-Good-People-To-Take-Notice-OfWhy Professional Developers Are Good People To Take Notice OfFri, 15 Sep 2017 14:58:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164820/title/Why-Professional-Developers-Are-Good-People-To-Take-Notice-Of
People who want to take their basic computer training to the next level can gain an advantage over other job seekers by knowing what platforms and tools the professional software community prefers to use.

A report by developer community analyst SlashData said that developers are not only influencing others as to which platform to work with, but also becoming influencers in terms of future corporate computer training needs. According to SlashData's State of the Developer Nation Q3 2017 report, the tribal nature of software developers means that people could do worse than take stock of the platforms professionals use.

The report said that developers are more likely to work on projects that have wide community support on the same platform. The major tech ecosystems—Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google—all have their fans, although it is important to note that a vast number of professional developers are working on more than one platform at a time. This is especially true in the mobile apps sector, but Google's Android and Apple's iOS are the only real choices when it comes to mobile operating systems.

IT Training Opens Doors

Focus On More Than One Platform

The majority of 8,167 developers surveyed by SlashData between April and June 2017 said that Microsoft products were the preferred option, with 58 percent of all developers picking the tech behemoth over Apple. Around 66 percent of desktop professionals opted for Microsoft, while 55 percent of both web developers and backend developers also went the Microsoft route. Apple's iOS was its sole success; 52 percent of developers were in favor of the company's infamous walled garden in terms of mobile platform choice.

When it came to choosing between Amazon and Google, the latter was the clear winner. A full 75 percent of all developers said that their loyalties were with the latter primary platform, although 32 percent of backend professionals chose Amazon. SlashData said that while Amazon's dominance in cloud services via Amazon Web Service is undisputed, the company has "won relatively little love from developers."

"Developers can be guilty of irrational bias."

That being said, developers can be guilty of irrational bias, the report said. There is a danger of working in what SlashData referred to as a "filter bubble," especially when it comes to making the most of available primary computing paradigms or IT career opportunities.

"Of course, some may be very rationally sticking with the skills they know, not wanting to climb the learning curve for completely different languages and API sets," the authors of the SlashData report said. "Even so, if we look at platform choices, it's clear that preferences run deeper than that. Unfortunately, being in favor of one company often means being against one or more others, leading to choices that may not make rational sense in markets where the preferred platform vendor doesn't have a strong position."

The love that developers have for Microsoft is likely linked to the open nature of the platform itself, SlashData said. Developers who prefer Microsoft to Apple are more likely to choose Android when considering a mobile project, although there is some evidence that older developers retain a grudge from the Windows vs Mac desktop OS wars of over 10 years ago.

When you consider that the tech industry is experiencing from a talent shortage, limiting yourself to one platform over another may not be the best option for either the more experienced developer or those that are starting down the IT career path. Software is eating the world and companies will undergo an inevitable digital transformation, which means that anyone with a full range of technical skills will be in high demand.

Digital Strategy Is Driving Demand

A recent survey of almost 4,500 CIOs and technology leaders by global professional services provider KPMG and technology recruiter Harvey Hash said that 52 percent of companies now have enterprise-wide digital strategies, with data scientists and cloud computing at the top of hiring requirements. That's great news for anybody who is taking IT training and certification courses, even more so when you take into account that qualified candidates will be actively sought out by companies that either have an established or future digital strategy.

On the flip side, the so-called talent gap is still a concern.

The 2017 Harvey Nash/KPMG Survey said that 61 percent of respondents said they had already invested or were planning to invest in digital labor. The problem is that six out of 10 people said their companies consistently suffer from a skills shortage, despite an average IT budget increase of around 79 percent. Only one in five CIOs said that their IT budgets had been reduced, a scenario that highlights the need for IT training courses that will give people the skills they need to succeed.

In simple terms, companies have moved on from strategizing about their digital transformation and are focused on making it happen, the report's authors said. This means that those enterprises who consider themselves to be digital leaders have an opportunity to build IT teams that can bring this transformation to life.

New Horizon Computer Learning Centers has a 35-year proven track record in IT training and certification courses. With over 300 computer training centers spread over 70 countries, New Horizon partners with leading technology providers to give both students and employers the investment they need to succeed in the IT industry.

For more information about where you can gain the knowledge and experience required for a plethora of IT positions, click here to map out the next stage of your IT career. Alternatively, you can join one of New Horizon's webinars and get hands-on advice that will speed up not only your job search but also make sure you are fully equipped to deal with the latest developments in the digital labor market.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164728/title/How-to-get-more-out-of-PivotTables-in-ExcelHow to get more out of PivotTables in ExcelThu, 14 Sep 2017 13:13:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164728/title/How-to-get-more-out-of-PivotTables-in-Excel
Microsoft Excel can seem like a pretty straightforward application on the surface. After all, almost anyone who has spent time in a white-collar job has likely encountered the program or one of its many lookalikes. Many basic budgets, project tracking initiatives and charts are also built in Excel. But underneath the hood, Microsoft's spreadsheet program is capable of much more than simple number crunching.

Excel PivotTables: A quick overview

Excel has long been a staple in industries such as finance and manufacturing, in large part because of its ability to handle enormous data sets. While the program gets a lot of attention for the various costly errors that have resulted from incorrect formulas and manual mistakes, experienced Excel users quietly handle many of the transactions that power modern business - and PivotTables are a big reason why:

With a PivotTable, you can quickly get values such as the number of unique fields in a list (e.g., the names of the different departments employees work in) as well as the total members for each one.

A PivotTable is also a good tool for cleaning up the duplicate data that is almost inevitable in large recordkeeping systems. It can aggregate the details of duplicate entries and save you from having to hunt for them manually.

While PivotTables can initially seem intimidating, getting started is actually pretty straightforward. For example, In the 2017 version of Excel for Mac, there are PivotTable buttons (typically "PivotTable and "Recommended PivotTables") by default at the far left of the Insert Ribbon. Creation of a simple PivotTable from there takes only about a minute and requires nothing more than selecting a cell, clicking/tapping the appropriate button and then filling out the relevant values. It's a lot quicker than running a report manually.

Like some musical instruments or video games, PivotTables fall into the "easy to learn, hard to master" category. Once you get down the basics of setting up one, you'll probably want to explore some additional capabilities. Let's look at a few in more detail.

PivotTables help make sense of huge data sets.

PivotTable tips to keep in mind

For the best possible results with a PivotTable, consider the following tips:

Use clean and complete source data

A PivotTable should be created over cells with no blank rows or columns, nor any subtotals. But sometimes you may work with data that includes many empty cells, due to formatting choices: For instance, a sheet might be organized like an outline, with headings and subheadings appearing only once; an example might include a list of songs by one musician, with that artist's name listed at the start of the list and nowhere else. What do you when you need to create a PivotTable from such data?

Usually you can set up a formula with relative cell references to quickly fill in the missing values, saving a lot of time. This video contains a technical breakdown of how to automate the completion process so that you can proceed to making your PivotTable.

Fine-tune table values for what you need

When setting up the Values field in the PivotTable creation box, you have more than one option for how items are summarized and presented. A basic PivotTable might default to a value such as "count of table," but there are numerous other choices, including sums, averages, products and standard deviations.

On a Mac, clicking the "i" in the Values box is the way to fine-tune the structure of your PivotTables. On a PC, the process is similar but instead involves an upside-down triangle and a settings menu.

Drill down to find the truth

While PivotTables can become seriously complex once they are extended over large data sets, they are always transparent and thus in theory easy to tweak if you're not happy with how they're working. One of the easiest way to see what's behind the curtain is to double click on any field in the PivotTable.

"One of the easiest ways to see what's behind the curtain is to double click on any field in a PivotTable."

Doing so will create a new sheet in your current workbook, containing the individual entries that were tabulated to create the value. An example might be a list of the 100 names constituting the 100 employees categorized in a PivotTable of current department staffing records. This drill down functionality is useful for extracting and exporting more specific data than might be exposed by a PivotTable.

Sharpen your Excel and Office 365 skills with IT certifications

Expertise in Excel and the other components of Office 365 is essential for the modern IT professional, especially as cloud-based services and data analytics (which PivotTables can help with) become more central to organizational strategy. At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can hone your skills in Office 365 as well as a variety of Microsoft technical products, such as Windows Server and System Center.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/17/title/New-Horizons-Computer-Learning-Centers-Receives-Education-Services-North-America-Partner-of-the-Year-Award-at-VMware-Education-Partner-Day-2017New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Receives Education Services North America Partner of the Year Award at VMware Education Partner Day 2017Thu, 14 Sep 2017 12:50:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/17/title/New-Horizons-Computer-Learning-Centers-Receives-Education-Services-North-America-Partner-of-the-Year-Award-at-VMware-Education-Partner-Day-2017
Conshohocken, PA — September 7, 2017 - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers today announced that it has received the Education Services North America Partner of the Year Award. New Horizons was recognized at VMware Education Partner Day 2017, VMware’s annual partner event, held in Las Vegas.

“We are pleased to recognize our strategic partners each year for their achievements as we work together to drive the business outcomes of our joint customers through education,” said Robin Gunn, vice president of worldwide education services at VMware. “VMware Education Services is honored to acknowledge New Horizons as our North America Partner of the Year, and look forward to our continued mutual success.”

“It’s a great honor to win the Education Services award”, said Shelley Morris, executive vice president and chief strategy officer. “VMware is an important part of our customer’s IT infrastructure and being able to provide a premier training solution is our top priority.”

About VMworld 2017
VMworld 2017 is the leading global event for virtualization and cloud partners, bringing thousands of members from the VMware partner ecosystem together to discuss the future of the industry. With more than 170 breakout sessions and an exhibitor Solutions Exchange, partners gain valuable insight on how to leverage new technologies to deliver next generation enterprise hybrid cloud solutions to customers. For more information about VMworld, visit

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers
New Horizons helps businesses advance by upgrading people. New Horizons IT training solutions have kept businesses—from startups to global enterprises—ahead of the technology curve for 35 years. With 300 learning centers in 70 countries around the world, New Horizons provides measurable return on any company’s training investment while our learning methods meet the styles, demands and schedules of management and employees. New Horizons combines the resources of the world’s largest IT training company with the responsiveness of a local partner. New Horizons is certified as a Microsoft Partner with a Gold Learning competency, Cisco Partner for Learning Solutions, CompTIA Authorized Partner, IBM Authorized Training Provider and VMware Authorized Training Center. For more information, visit our global website at www.newhorizons.com.

VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164091/title/How-System-Center-helps-with-patching-and-updatingHow System Center helps with patching and updatingThu, 31 Aug 2017 08:24:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164091/title/How-System-Center-helps-with-patching-and-updating
Microsoft System Center is one of Microsoft's most versatile and most widely-used products. Last year, System Center 2016 was announced and released alongside Windows Server 2016, with a slew of new features for enabling the transformation of today's data centers into tomorrow's cloud computing environments.

System Center's many faces: Patch management and software updates

System Center has a proven track record when it comes to cloud integrations, support for multiple operating systems and improvements to overall IT efficiency. For example, in August 2017, Federal News Radio documented how the Millennium Challenge Corporation - a government agency established in the 2000s - had been spending two-thirds of its IT budget on technology systems before it transitioned to a more cloud-centric approach. System Center is playing an important role in this transformation.

More specifically, it helped with patch management and software updates that would have otherwise required manual effort. Unpatched systems are a major cause of data breaches, since they are often prime targets for malware. A survey from Flexera's Secunia Research unit found that unpatched Windows operating systems in the U.S. reached 9.8 percent in the first quarter of 2017, up from 6.5 the year before.

Not applying patches right away puts any firm at considerable and unnecessary risk. The report also revealed that 81 percent of all product vulnerabilities in 2016 had patches available on the same day they were identified, meaning that most of the time the danger from such threats was fully preventable - as long as an effective patch management mechanism was in place. System Center is a great way to fill that gap and ensure timely updating.

System Center helps reduce the risk from unpatched systems.

Within System Center, there are a variety of features for streamlining patch delivery. The Automatic Deployment Rule can be set up in the System Center Configuration Manager to run a predefined schedule, such as applying all the patches that become available on Microsoft's Patch Tuesdays each week.

What's in System Center 2016?

With System Center 2016, Microsoft has emphasized simpler installation, more extensive automation and superior support for today's most prominent cloud computing technologies. To the latter point, Microsoft has invested System Center 2016 with monitoring capabilities for both the Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services clouds, i.e. the top two Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions in terms of market share and revenue.

"System Center 2016 is highly compatible with VMware and the LAMP stack."

System Center 2016 also is more compatible with VMware and the LAMP stack, two important drivers of server virtualization and web application development, respectively. LAMP is an acronym for Linux Apache MySQL PHP, four open source components that have long been a popular, synergistic combination for making software.

Are you ready to learn more? Visit New Horizons Computer Learning Centers webinars page, where we have many existing and upcoming educational resources on System Center, Windows Server and the IT job hunt.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164090/title/New-and-improved-features-to-know-about-in-Windows-Server-2016New and improved features to know about in Windows Server 2016Thu, 31 Aug 2017 08:16:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164090/title/New-and-improved-features-to-know-about-in-Windows-Server-2016
Like the rest of the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems, Windows Server has in recent years shifted to a relatively rapid update model under which new features are pushed on a regular basis to improve functionality and keep up with current security threats. Windows OSes were once less frequently modified, back during the 3-year development cycles separating Windows 3, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows XP. But internet and cloud distribution have made platform evolution much more efficient.

Accordingly, an OS such as Windows Server will get a stream of new features, some minor and some major, in any given year. Windows Server Containers are a prime example.

Containerization in Windows Server

Containerization has become a popular technology in the 2010s, primarily as a low-overhead alternative to virtual machines (VMs). In general, containers can isolate code while sharing a kernel and host with each other.

Windows Server Containers follow this basic model. The same kernel version and configuration is required to support all containers on the OS, if Hyper-V Isolation is not being utilized.

Hyper-V Isolation goes a step further, with the goal of implementing the same robust security assurances of a VM. As a result, kernels can follow different versions and configurations. Microsoft announced in August 2017 that Red Hat would support Windows Server Containers on its OpenShift container platform. OpenShift is set to be the first Kubernetes-based container solution to support both Windows- and Linux-based containers, according to TechCrunch.

The partnership between Microsoft and Red Hat - who are hardly natural allies - speaks in part to the prevalence of Windows Server, which currently runs many of the workloads that enterprises would prefer to containerize. Its rich feature set has long made it a platform that is practical for business, not to mention worth learning by IT professionals. In addition to the containerization capabilities we have already discussed, here are a few more new functions of Windows Server 2016 that enterprises are tapping into:

Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)

Storage area networks (SANs) are expensive. With rises in storage costs outpacing any increases in server expenses, cost-effective SANs are more important than ever before. But what if you could simply avoid additional investment in pricey SANs? The S2D feature in Windows Server 2016 provides an alternative route. It can be run from a simple server rack, using disks that might have been left over after a migration from Exchange to Office 365.

"S2D can be run from a simple server rack."

Better time synchronization between the LAN and the outside world

Time synchronization is not usually something IT administrators have to think about, especially if everything is going well across their environments. It has become more complicated over the years, though, due to the expanded use of cloud applications and the accompanying rise of heterogeneous and often far-flung IT environments.

Time synchronization in Windows Server 2016 is greatly improved.

More specifically, Active Directory now serves as the authoritative system for a variety of on-premises, Software-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service offerings. Many of these applications require real-time performance (think a VoIP or video app, or something like online banking), and even a slight timing discrepancy can cause them to fail.

In Windows Server 2016, time accuracy has been reduced to a margin of error of only 1 millisecond. This key improvement has been a significant performance and security boost for modern Windows Server environments.

Privileged Access Administration (PAM) in Active Directory

As we have discussed in previous entries on Windows Server, administrator privileges are a pet issue in Windows Server 2016. Many modern cyberattack vectors take advantage of administrator setups in which extensive capabilities are available for long stretches of time.

PAM curbs this problem by introducing the concept of "just enough administration." Instead of doling out identical enormously powerful accounts to many users, it can fine-tune the capabilities of every administrator role and isolate its activities if need be. As an added benefit, PAM replaces the often expensive third-party tools that have previously been needed to perform these same basic functions.

Ongoing education is the only way to ensure that you have the knowledge and expertise of an ever-evolving platform such as Windows Server. At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can enroll in our many courses covering platforms up and down the Microsoft stack, as well as other topics in Red Hat and cybersecurity.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164089/title/Considerations-when-looking-for-a-job-as-a-cloud-developerConsiderations when looking for a job as a cloud developerThu, 31 Aug 2017 08:09:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40164089/title/Considerations-when-looking-for-a-job-as-a-cloud-developer
How do you begin looking for a career in 2017 and beyond? The task can seem daunting at first, given the vast range of relevant technologies to learn, from public and private cloud platforms to JavaScript- (MEAN) and Linux-oriented (LAMP) development stacks. In their posting, some positions will require years of knowledge across multiple niche technical realms, in addition requiring select candidates to undergo phone, video and in-person screenings.

What prospects are ahead for cloud developers?

The good news is that demand for IT personnel is generally high, meaning that despite the complications associated with the hiring process, qualified applicants should in theory be able to find a fit. According to a survey of 845 IT workers conducted by Cloud Foundry and Clear Path, there is a looming shortage of developers that has created major opportunities for professionals with extensive cloud expertise:

Fifty-seven percent also said that the shortfall had already adversely affected their abilities to hire people.

Demand has shifted from general cloud expertise to specific languages, deployment servers and device types (e.g., mobile and the Internet of Things).

Importantly, training - rather than outsourcing - is seen as the best solution to the shortage, and current IT pros could benefit greatly from expanding their current skill sets.

When we say that specific cloud tech is becoming a more important differentiators for developers, which platforms are we actually talking about? Start with the Infrastructure-as-a-Service offerings that receive a huge amount of press coverage and also serve as the centerpieces of vast technological ecosystems. Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform all fit into this category.

Being a cloud developer requires expertise in one or more specific platforms, such as Azure or AWS.

Each of these options is associated with its own constantly evolving set of tools, services and third-party integrations. To make sense of them all, it is a good idea to seek guidance from initiatives such as the Microsoft IT Pro Career Center, which helps developer discover the positions and skills that might be most beneficial to their career tracks. This enhanced direction ensures that you don't waste time learning about software and hardware assets that might quickly become outdated and, worse, offer minimal transferable educational value.

Vital cloud platforms and roles to know

We mentioned Azure and AWS earlier, both of which support vast portions of worldwide application infrastructure. There are many other platforms to know about when job hunting, since these specific technologies along with general job post skills - i.e., in written and oral communication and project management - are among the most common requirements for cloud-related positions.

Acclaim is a useful resource for any preliminary research about what cloud jobs are in demand at any given moment, their top employers, how much they pay and what skills they typically require. For example, both cloud administrator and cloud architect include AWS familiarity in their top five most common required skills. Moreover, for both job titles, the bulk of positions tracked by Acclaim have salaries of $100,000 or more, putting them well ahead of the median annual U.S. compensation.

"Cloud administrator and cloud architect both include AWS in their top five most common required skills."

Perceived shortage of supply has undoubtedly contributed to these high salaries. Still, job candidates have to be conscious of the high levels of competition and attention the postings for them may attract, especially in the wake of the proliferation of code schools and online tutorials for developers in the 2010s. Knowledge of the key building blocks of multi-cloud architectures - i.e., mixes of public, private and/or hybrid clouds within a single organization - will be key:

Platforms such as Azure, OpenStack and VMware are all important ingredients in the construction of multi-cloud environments, especially on the private/hybrid cloud side.

Even if multi-cloud expertise is not your intended specialty, there is still considerable benefit in at least knowing the ins and outs of its particular components.

That IDC-Microsoft paper estimated that all IT job growth from 2016 to 2021 will be in cloud-related positions, and that 38 percent of all IT positions will be focused on cloud by 2021.

In the long run, cloud developers will do much more than simply create and test components of complex IT environments. They will also be tasked with improving the overall efficiencies of the organizations they work for. The 2017 State of the Cloud Report from RightScale revealed that a significant chunk of all cloud spending is actually wasted, at a time when many companies are investing more heavily in hybrid clouds. IT personnel will be called upon to ensure the sustainability of cloud-based workflows and applications.

Developing worthwhile cloud skills for the future of IT

The future of IT is in the cloud. While on-premises infrastructures will not fade away completely, they will increasingly be either replaced by public cloud equivalents or folded into private and hybrid cloud that deliver an approximation of the cloud experience.

Finding a rewarding job within a cloud-centric IT world requires a distinctive mix of technical skills as well as the ability to continually refine your knowledge as the industry shifts and new technologies take center stage. Just in the past few years, previously obscure platforms such as Docker (for containerization) and Node.js (for server-side execution of JavaScript code) have become mainstream as cloud development and testing have become priorities.

At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can develop the knowledge and technical abilities to become qualified for major cloud positions. In addition to our numerous courses and certificates in Azure (including for students with previous experience in AWS), Linux, VMware and other focus areas, there is our webinars page, which includes frequently updated resources that can help you accelerate your job search. Find a location near you to plan the next phase of your IT career.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40163958/title/The-past,-present-and-future-of-securing-Windows-ServerThe past, present and future of securing Windows ServerTue, 29 Aug 2017 12:05:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40163958/title/The-past,-present-and-future-of-securing-Windows-Server
As more IT infrastructures become virtualized and migrate to public, private and hybrid cloud environments, cybersecurity has been a persistent concern. Taking assets off premises and entrusting them to third-party service providers always carries at least some degree of risk; the hardware and software that were once under your direct supervision are now someone else's responsibility. Although they are usually in good and experienced hands, you have to remain vigilant against the various possible cyberattacks against your critical servers, storage, networks and applications.

These concerns are relevant when working with platforms such as Microsoft Windows Server. For the past 20 plus years, Windows Server has been a mainstay of enterprise IT. Its features have been pivotal in the development of modern identity management (via Active Directory) as well as the ongoing virtualization boom (thanks in part to Hyper-V). But as an IT professional, what security risks should you be mindful of when working with Windows Server?

Windows Server's complex cybersecurity history

Securing Windows Server is a fundamental task, but it hasn't always been straightforward. Windows Server 2003 is a case in point. Long after it had been superseded by multiple new releases of the platform, Server 2003 continued to be widely used, right up to the eve of its end-of-life (EOL) designation in 2015, much like Windows XP, which easily outlasted its successor, Windows Vista. Familiarity as well as the costs and disruption risks associated with upgrading likely supported the inertia of sticking with such an old OS even with technically superior alternatives available.

The situation created plenty of anxiety about the numerous critical systems running on Windows Server 2003, which if not updated would have been vulnerable to old malware and zero-day threats that would have never received patches. The good news is that two years after it reached EOL, Windows Server 2003 use has dropped dramatically. Spiceworks had estimated 61 percent market share for the aging platform in early 2015, but that number fell to only 18 percent a year later (although slightly more than half of its respondents reporting running at least a single instance of Server 2003).

The particular vulnerabilities of Windows Server 2003 are not typically the top problems for a newer server OS with better built-in protections in addition to timely and current patches. However, that does not mean that there is nothing to worry about. In fact, Windows Server 2016 was designed with many modern cyberattack vectors in mind.

Securing Windows Server: The defenses built into Window Server 2016

An official Microsoft security white paper about Windows Server 2016 presented an attack scenario that has become increasingly common in recent years:

Attackers conduct preliminary research on their targets, looking at sources such as social media channels.

Using this information, they determine the best possible route past the organization's defenses; for example, they might settle on a plan to use spear-phishing to deceive email recipients into clicking links to compromised sites.

If successful, the attack plan enables them to begin spying on network activity and/or stealing data. Often, they remain undetected for a considerable amount time; a 2016 Accenture survey found that for 59 percent of financial services providers, breach detection took several months.

Windows Server has been a target of such sophisticated schemes, with pass-the-hash, pass-the-token and pass-the-ticket attacks fitting into this general category. The question is how such intrusions can be thwarted or, at the very least, detected earlier to mitigate the cost of a breach, which can run into the millions of dollars per incident according to the Ponemon Institute.

Privilege protections in Windows Server 2016

While the totality of Windows Server 2016 security features is beyond our scope here, there is one group of functions that deserves more attention, i.e. its various administrative privilege protections. Many attacks that might have been contained instead spiral out of control due to elevated privileges being easily available for long stretches of time. Accordingly, Windows Server 2016 includes numerous advanced safeguards against privilege escalation.

Just Enough Administration and Just In Time Administration both limit the extent and duration of privileges. The idea is to enable legitimate administrators to perform critical tasks using tools such as PowerShell, but curb the potential for abuse, especially in cases in which the permissions that might be exploited are not even necessary for the jobs at hand. One way in which these approaches can be implemented is through Local Administrator Password Solution, which works for Just In Time Administration. It stores passwords in Active Directory and protects them with access control lists so that only a small set of users can access them or request their reset.

Windows Server 2016 contains more sophisticated access controls.

Along similar lines, Windows Server 2016 also includes Credential Guard and Remote Credential Guard, both of which are brand new in the platform. They are specifically designed to protect credentials and credential derivatives from pass-the-hash and pass-the-token attacks. Another mechanism, Advanced Threat Analytics, is available for combating pass-the-hash attacks and detecting compromised identities that might be in use by cyberattackers.

Additional security features to know about

As with all Windows OSes since Windows 8, Windows Server 2016 includes Windows Defender for defense against viruses, malware, spyware and threats to on-premises and cloud-based systems. Secure Boot is also available to ensure that only software trusted by the device manufacturer is able to start; this helps curb rootkits and other low-level attacks that often stem from unsigned programs.

"Windows Server 2016 includes Windows Defender for defense against viruses and malware."

An all-new feature in Windows Server 2016 is Control Flow Guard. It is built to contain memory corruption attacks capable of damaging applications such as Visual Studio.

Deepen your Windows Server security skills at New Horizons

As Windows Server continues to evolve, demand for relevant cybersecurity skills should increase in lockstep. You can help meet the ongoing shortage of security professionals by enrolling in program and certification tracks at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40163866/title/What-is-new-in-Microsoft-System-Center-2016?What is new in Microsoft System Center 2016?Mon, 28 Aug 2017 10:22:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40163866/title/What-is-new-in-Microsoft-System-Center-2016?
Microsoft System Center is a crucial tool in the management of Windows Server environments as well as client desktop operating systems. In recent years, it has become a linchpin of modern data center strategies:

Data centers are the backbones of every major IT operation, from consumer-facing ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft to the enterprise Infrastructure-as-a-Service offerings from Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

The virtualized and cloud-based infrastructures housed in these facilities have consumed a larger share of corporate IT budgets over the years. An NTT Communications survey of 1,580 decision-makers found that the virtual/cloud combo would likely represent 28 percent of their allocations by 2018.

IT automation is essential as data center and cloud environments become more sophisticated and intertwined with each other; it is the only way to ensure ample scalability and responsiveness in the face of business requirements that often change rapidly.

For IT administrators, System Center 2016 streamlines the process of turning a data center into a private cloud. While public clouds such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services receive the lion's share of attention when it comes to cloud-focused conversations, private cloud is nearly as important for a lot of organizations.

A private cloud is a pool of elastic infrastructure that is available on-demand only to users within an exclusive corporate IT environment, behind the firewall. In that sense, it is "private," unlike public cloud equivalents that are typically multi-tenant and thus utilized by numerous paying customers.

What does System Center 2016 bring to the table for cloud management? Let's look under the hood at some of its most important features:

1. Hybrid IT support

The 2017 State of the Cloud Report from RightScale found that a solid majority of enterprises had hybrid cloud strategies in place. With hybrid cloud, mixing and matching of disparate service providers, software platforms and applications is inevitable. The question is how adeptly they can be weaved together into a coherent whole.

System Center 2016 makes synthesis easier than before. It can be run on Windows, VMware, OpenStack or Linux-based OSes, with the ability to support on-premises as well as cloud-based (either on Azure or AWS) workloads.

2. Linux integration

Support for Linux in System Center 2016 is especially sophisticated. For starters, the CentOS, Debian, Red Hat, SUSE and Ubuntu OSes are compatible with it. Its drivers are also checked into the upstream Linux kernel so that direct integration is seamless and continuous.

In System Center 2016, up to 64 processors can be added to a virtual machine running Linux. There is also support for secure boot, so that OS components can be verified via their respective Unified Extensible Firmware Interfaces.

Overall, Microsoft itself estimated that 25 percent of all instances of System Center include Linux virtual machines. The additional features in System Center 2016 enable advanced management of heterogeneous environments that include Windows and Linux VMs, with greater levels of power, security and flexibility than in previous editions of the platform.

System Center 2016 includes many features for the modern data center.

3. Enhancements for Windows Server

Windows Server has evolved dramatically over the past 20 plus years. It has added crucial features such as Active Directory and Hyper-V in that timespan, becoming the keystone of modern virtualization and cloud computing strategies.

Users of System Center 2016 can pair it with all currently supported versions of Windows Server, including Windows Server 2016. Windows Server can be set up as the guest operating system when managing VMs in any environment utilizing System Center.

"System Center offers three different types of VM checkpoints."

System Center offers three different types of VM checkpoints designed to capture the data, configuration hardware and last known state of VMs. Production checkpoints are "point in time" captures capable of being fully restored at a later date (they do not use save-state technology, but rely on restoration software instead). There are also production-only checkpoints, which make no backups if the attempt at a production checkpoint fails (instead of falling back to a standard checkpoint like the first type does); and standard checkpoints for development and testing scenarios.

In terms of other Windows Server-specific features, System Center 2016 also supports Nano Server and hot-swappable memory and network adaptor. The latter capability refers to the option to modify assigned memory for VMs even while they are still running normally (i.e., "hot," hence the name).

4. Streamlined resource provisioning and migration

One of the core benefits of virtualization and cloud computing is the ability to provision resources that would have taken days or even weeks to set up using traditional IT infrastructure. System Center 2016 continues the long advance of IT provisioning and migration with additions including:

Template-based provisioning: The System Center 2016 Virtual Machine Manager allows VMs to be set up using preset templates, saving time that otherwise would have gone toward manual configuration.

Dynamic optimization: On-demand optimization ensures that load balancing of memory, CPU and storage and networking I/O are fully responsive to changing conditions. Power optimization is also available: It powers down hosts when they are not required within the cluster and turns them back on as needed.

Nested virtualization: The Hyper-V host itself can now be virtualized. Accordingly, it is possible to run a Hyper-V lab with very low overhead thanks to this more extensive virtualization.

5. Extensions for Microsoft Azure

With the rise of hybrid cloud environments, organizations of all kinds need to move significant number of physical and virtual machines off-premises. In System Center 2016, such migration is as straightforward as possible.

Its Data Protection Manager (DPM) can back up assets to Azure Backup or to tape or disk. DPM itself can be configured as a VM to further simplify the Azure transition.

Azure subscriptions can also be added to the Virtual Machine Manager in System Center 2016. These Azure VMs can be managed on a basic level from System Center, with options for starting, stopping and connecting them via the proprietary Remote Desktop Protocol.

Extend your knowledge of System Center at New Horizons

We have only touched the tip of the iceberg of System Center 2016. Specific coursework and hands-on training are necessary for mastering the platform for today's most important use cases.

You can sharpen your expertise by enrolling in courses at a New Horizons near you. We offer a wide variety of programs covering topics in the Microsoft stack, Cisco technology, IT certifications and much more, so that you have the opportunity to build comprehensive expertise for today's complex IT environments.

Be sure to view our webinars page, which is regularly updated with new content on topics such as System Center and Windows Server. Also take a look at the complete course listings to find ones aligned with your career goals.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40163370/title/What-new-security-features-are-in-Microsoft-Windows-Server-2016?What new security features are in Microsoft Windows Server 2016?Wed, 16 Aug 2017 15:20:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40163370/title/What-new-security-features-are-in-Microsoft-Windows-Server-2016?
Securing Microsoft Windows Server has become a more important task this decade as the complexity of the typical IT environment increases. Most important technical infrastructures were once housed on-premises and directly overseen by the IT department; but now, these assets may be situated in a public, private or hybrid cloud, or in a colocation facility.

Windows Server 2016 and the changing face of cybersecurity

The evolution of Windows Server itself provides a useful guide for understanding how security requirements have changed over the years:

Windows Server 2000 introduced the Active Directory brand, unifying all the identity management services and processes that remain central to the security of modern multi-site Window Server implementations. Active Directory requires a lot of attention to secure properly: The use of highly privileged accounts, or the compromise of the domain controllers in Active Directory, can create major risks to organizational data and reputation.

Windows Server 2008 included Hyper-V, the hypervisor that has accelerated the uptake of virtualization in Windows environments. Hyper-V continues to offer the essential functions - involving the creation and management of virtual machines - that make virtualization an appealing alternative to reliance on traditional physical hardware.

Windows Server 2016 extended the capabilities of Hyper-V, added Failover Clustering and instituted a form of software-defined networking (SDN) similar to the Azure cloud. These features made Windows Server a better fit for organizations that have moved more of their operations into the cloud for improved scalability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness

In the most recent versions of Windows Server, the core security mechanisms are built to secure workloads and data regardless of their actual locations, which could be in a server closet or in a faraway data center. An OEM TV panel on Windows Server 2016 security described the overall approach as "proactive security" designed to spot anomalies early and address them if necessary, through a mix of measures such as log analytics integrations and privileged credentials protections and improvements to the virtualization fabric.

Server 2016 provides more protection for VMs.

Log analytics integrations

Operations Management Suite has always been a useful resource when working with Windows Server. In Server 2016, its log analytics capabilities are even better thanks to the ability to integrate the security data available from the platform's more detailed logging.

These details can be plugged into an analytics engine alongside data such as intrusion detection events to produce a comprehensive "security story" about all IT environments within an organization. Unusual and suspicious activity be closely tracked and tied to alerts delivered to security personnel.

Privileged credentials protections

Administrators by definition have relatively extensive access to actions within any version of Windows Server. While such permissions are necessary for modifying and troubleshooting any environment, they can open the door for cyberattacks. There are several notable risks on this front, including privilege misuse/escalation as well as pass-the-hash and pass-the-ticket attacks:

Privilege misuse was the cause of 14 percent of the data breaches documented in the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report.

Pass-the-hash has been a threat since the 1990s. It involves the impersonation of users by stealing password hashes from their accounts.

Pass-the-ticket is a more recent innovation on the same attack vector, with the key difference being its use of service tickets to impersonate domain users.

A fundamental flaw in many administrator accounts is the extent of privileges many of them afford for an unlimited amount of time. This laxity enables the accumulation of credentials for use in cyberattacks.

Server 2016 includes some much-needed safeguards against such risks. For starters, there is Credential Guard, which uses virtualization-based security to protect credentials from interception. Remote Credential Guard offers similar protections when using remote desktop protocol (RDP). It enables secure single sign-on so that credentials are not passed to the RDP host, reducing the overall attack surface.

"There are provisions for 'just enough administration" and "just in time administration.'"

There are also provisions for "just enough administration" and the similar "just in time administration." These setups limit the scope of administrative privileges. Workflows are carefully audited and the number of required actions is greatly limited.

These features help protect what is actually on the VMs - e.g., applications and their respective data - even in cases in which the virtualization fabric is being managed by a contractor or other third-party. Such situations are becoming more common with the rise of hybrid clouds, which combine multiple environments potentially spanning local facilities and remote data centers. Windows Server 2016 provides advanced, dependable defenses for these complex new approaches to IT.

Learn more about Windows Server 2016 to advance your IT career

The ongoing evolution of Windows Server has ensured its place at the center of modern IT. It will continue to provide the security, scalability and reliability that organizations expect from server OSes.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162952/title/What-is-new-in-Microsoft-Windows-Server-2016What is new in Microsoft Windows Server 2016Tue, 8 Aug 2017 16:02:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162952/title/What-is-new-in-Microsoft-Windows-Server-2016
In late 2016, Microsoft began shipping Windows Server 2016 after revealing it at that year's Ignite conference. The product had been in the works for years, having first become available as a technical preview in 2014. While it seemed on the surface like just another iteration of the decades-old franchise, under the hood Windows Server 2016 represented a major shift in the design of the company's operating systems.

Windows Server: Where it has been and where it is going

Window Server actually began its run under a different name: NT Server. It was released as a server-side companion to the client OSes of Windows 1 through Windows 3.1x, in 1993. Over the next 20 years, the platform underwent numerous changes, with some of the most notable milestones including:

The introduction of the Workstation and Server labels in NT Server 3.5, in 1994

Support for the PowerPC computing architecture in NT Server 3.51 in 1995, since NT Server had outgrown its origins as a rewrite of IBM's OS/2.

Incorporation of the major applications and nomenclature (such as "My Computer," "My Documents," etc.) of the blockbuster Windows 95 in NT Server 4.0, which also included clustering of instances for failover and workload sharing (sometimes called the "Wolfpack" capability).

The introduction of Active Directory - still an essential component of the authentication infrastructure for today's Microsoft services - in Windows 2000 Server.

The rebranding as Windows Server for Windows Server 2003, which also increased integration with .NET tools.

Inclusion of Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008, heralding the start of the virtualization era.

An all-new file system and integration with Office 365 in the various releases of Windows Server 2012.

Broadly, we can say that Windows Server before 2016 had three main eras: the NT era, the Active Directory era and the virtualization era. Now it seems to be entering yet another phase, this one focused on cloud computing. The transition makes sense because the cloud is ultimately an extension of the virtualization technology that entered the mainstream in the mid 2000s.

"Microsoft has become one of the largest vendors in the cloud arena."

Microsoft itself has become one of the largest vendors in the cloud arena. It has typically ranked second only to Amazon Web Services in terms of revenue, market share and subscribers to its Infrastructure-as-a-Service offerings. Windows Server 2016 is probably best understood as a fundamental cog in the rapidly evolving Microsoft Cloud machinery.

A look at some of the new features in Windows Server 2016

How does Windows Server 2016 contribute to Microsoft's broader cloud strategy, which now affects basically its entire portfolio of products and services? There are a few features worth noting:

Software-defined networking

Software-defined networking (SDN) has been one of the most consistently hyped concepts of the 2010s. It refers to the practice of letting a CPU make centralized decisions about how traffic on an internet protocol network is managed.

In Windows Server 2016, it is possible to securely segment applications on a network via SDN. This is possible because of new capabilities for routing and mirroring the traffic flowing to and from virtual machines. The ultimate effect is to make Windows Server 2016 networking fundamentally similar to how Azure works.

Server 2016 includes some important changes to networking.

Changes to Hyper-V

Hyper-V was a watershed innovation in the history of Window Server. The 2016 edition greatly extends its capabilities compared to Windows Server 2012 to support more distributed and large-scale workloads.

It includes much higher limits for memory and processor support across both its physical hosts and its virtual machines than Windows Server 2012. There are some more subtle changes too, such as the addition of hot add/remove for network adapters on VMs (meaning that they can be swapped in and out while a VM is running, without triggering downtime). VMs running certain Linux distributions may also take advantage of Secure Boot in Windows Server 2016.

Failover Clustering

The Failover Clustering capabilities of Windows Server are much more extensive than they were in previous versions. One reason why is its greater utilization of Azure. In the new Cloud Witness service, Azure can serve as an arbitration point in failover scenarios. Azure can be used alongside two separate data centers for multisite failover, without the overhead of having to set up and manage an entire third data center.

How you can master the intricacies of Windows Server 2016

You can learn more about what's new in Windows Server 2016 by visiting our webinars page, which has several useful resources on the subject. At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, you can take the courses and earn the certifications you need to become a competitive candidate for Microsoft-centric positions in today's job market. Find a location near you to get started today.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162600/title/Understanding-the-complex-relationship-between-Cisco-and-SDNUnderstanding the complex relationship between Cisco and SDNMon, 31 Jul 2017 16:32:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162600/title/Understanding-the-complex-relationship-between-Cisco-and-SDN
Software-defined networking has been one of the most hyped technologies of the 2010s to date. According to IT research firm Gartner, SDN hit the peak of its public popularity in 2013 and has since gone under the radar, although development of enterprise-grade solutions continues and it may transform SDN into a long-term fixture of business wide area networks.

"The ultimate direction of SDN depends heavily on one vendor: Cisco."

The ultimate direction of SDN depends heavily on one vendor: Cisco. Although Cisco has not been at the forefront of major early SDN projects such as OpenFlow, its products such as Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) represent major alternatives to SDN that IT professionals may need to become familiar within the years ahead.

SDN versus ACI

SDN refers to the separation of the control and forwarding planes on a network, such that a centralized CPU can make decisions about how to direct traffic without having to rely on old-fashioned firmware across the network's infrastructure. Since many of the technologies that make SDN possible - e.g., the OpenFlow protocol and the OpenStack operating system - are open source, Cisco was once viewed as the vendor that had the most to lose if SDN were to take off, due to its enormous position in the market.

Software-defined networking is becoming more popular with time.

However, the rollout of ACI has kept it ahead of the curve. ACI is sort of a proprietary spin on SDN. In its Magic Quadrant for Data Center Networking report from 2017, Gartner rated Cisco as one of only two "Leaders" in the space, along with Arista Networks. Features such as service chaining and policy-based orchestration have made ACI a major player in data center modernization initiatives.

Be prepared for SDN with Cisco certifications

Cisco offers numerous certifications that can help you learn the ins and outs of setting up, maintaining and troubleshooting a Cisco network. These credentials, which include the CCENT, CCNA and CCNP credentials, are useful to beginners as well as experts. Learn more by visiting our Cisco certifications page for additional info.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162592/title/IT-certifications-for-a-DevOps-careerIT certifications for a DevOps careerMon, 31 Jul 2017 16:02:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162592/title/IT-certifications-for-a-DevOps-career
Starting in the early 2000s, the term DevOps - a portmanteau of "development" and "operations" - became common lingo within many IT departments, software startup teams and vendor marketing materials. Numerous pieces of software and hardware have since been branded with the DevOps label, but in reality DevOps refers to a set of collaborative practices rather than a specific assortment of technical tools.

What is DevOps, exactly?

Maybe the best way to understand DevOps is to compare it to what it replaced, namely the traditional Waterfall methodology of software development:

In the Waterfall world, a development team would work on a parallel track from its operation counterpart; once its work was done, it would pass the product over for release and implementation.

Both teams would work on such projects in careful sequences, hence the waterfall imagery suggesting a clear flow from a source and then over an edge to completion.

But DevOps, and the closely related Agile movement, emphasizes collaboration between departments that previously had been separated (or "siloed") from one another. Accordingly, it places less importance on sequencing and more on cross-team communications.

Under a DevOps culture, multiple parts of a software project may be worked on simultaneously as different personnel with distinct areas of expertise team up to implement new features, fix security issues, etc.

While DevOps does not technically require any specific tools, it is usually associated with automation platforms such as Puppet and Chef, as well as containerization technologies like Docker, all of which nominally simplify the production of software.

DevOps adoption has grown rapidly in recent years. The definitive State of DevOps Report from Puppet found that in 2014, 16 percent of respondents reported working on a DevOps team; by 2017, the share had grown to 27 percent, underscoring the movement's growing popularity.

DevOps helps accelerate software development.

What the expansion of DevOps means for IT workers

DevOps expertise is in high demand, as demonstrated by the salaries that professionals can command. According to Puppet, 58 percent of IT practitioners made at least $100,000 in 2016, up from 47 percent in 2015. The rise in manager salaries was even more notable, as 43 percent made $150,000 or more, compared to 27 percent the year before.

"DevOps expertise is in high demand."

So how can an IT worker who is new to DevOps break into the field? IT certifications are a good place to start. There is no formal certification for DevOps itself, since it is such a broad and variously defined area of practice. However, many other certifications can prepare IT pros for a career in a DevOps organization, including:

CompTIA Linux+: When it comes to operating systems for DevOps, macOS is extremely popular due to its roots in UNIX. However, Linux is also a strong choice. Distributions such as Fedora offer the flexible, up-to-date libraries and compatibility with server and cloud infrastructures that DevOps professionals need for accelerated development. A CompTIA Linux+ certifications offers the basic Linux background necessary for

CompTIA Security+ and other cybersecurity certifications: Security is always a challenge with DevOps because it has to be balanced with the speed and wide-reaching collaboration that the practice prioritizes. There are numerous credentials focusing on cybersecurity, from various Cisco certifications to the popular CompTIA Security+, and all of them provide the training in IT infrastructure management that is important when working with a broad DevOps team.

Ready to get started on the road to a DevOps career at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers? Check out course listings as well as our IT service management page, where you can view our DevOps Institute partnerships.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162517/title/What-IT-certifications-are-useful-when-becoming-a-data-scientist?What IT certifications are useful when becoming a data scientist?Mon, 31 Jul 2017 09:50:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162517/title/What-IT-certifications-are-useful-when-becoming-a-data-scientist?
In the last 20 years, IT has been reshaped by numerous trends related to the improvement of the internet. Cloud computing, smartphones and the Internet of Things have all been enabled by ubiquitous IP network connectivity. Just between 2011 and 2016, the average home internet speed more than tripled, from 10 Mbps to 31 Mbps, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Such rapidly increasing speeds - which should continue to climb as innovations such as gigabit fiber enter the mainstream - have fueled the popularity of everything from on-demand music streaming to vast cloud-managed databases. The latter systems are now essential components of the field known as data science (alternatively "big data" or "data analytics"), which only emerged in the late 1990s.

Data science: A new frontier in internet-centric innovation

What is data science? We can loosely define it as a cross between mathematics (especially statistics, but also algebra and calculus to lesser degrees) and computer programming. A practitioner, known as a data scientist, will typically manipulate vast datasets using a combination of statistical techniques and technical platforms, which might run the gamut from basic spreadsheets to cutting-edge cloud frameworks. The ultimate goal is to draw actionable insights from all the information at your fingertips.

If you want to become a data scientist, what should you do? It is undoubtedly one of the most alluring career paths at the moment for anyone interested in IT. Google chief economist Hal Varian labeled in the hottest career path of the upcoming decade in 2009, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 11 percent growth (faster than average) in employment for computer information research scientists between 2014 and 2024.

Any prospective data scientist will need to be fluent in several specific applications and frameworks, many of which you are likely to encounter during the course of obtaining common IT certifications from vendors such as Microsoft and trade associations like CompTIA. Let's take a look at some of the key tools to know in this field.

Spreadsheets are central to data science.

Microsoft Excel

It may odd that a program as old as Excel (it first launched almost 30 years ago) is at the forefront of data science operations. However, in the 2016 O'Reilly Data Science Salary Survey, Excel was one of the top three most commonly used non-operating system tools, along with the programming languages JavaScript and Python. It was used by 59 percent of survey respondents, which actually represented a rise from the previous year.

Excel fits the classic mold of "easy to learn, hard to master." Its ubiquity in enterprise software (as part of Office 365, the business world's favorite cloud computing platform) makes it an obvious point of entry for data manipulation tasks, as does its ease of use for non-programmers. Advanced formulas and chart creation features further cement its utility within the sphere of data science. An Excel certification can help you learn about pivot table, Excel programming and other functions that unlock the spreadsheet application's power.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service platforms (Azure and AWS)

IaaS is integral to data science because it provides IT resources on a vast scale and on demand. The virtually limitless computing power, storage capacity and networking capabilities of an IaaS cloud greatly simplify the process of extracting insights. Unsurprisingly, the O'Reilly survey takers pointed to specific IaaS components such as Amazon Redshift as key tools in their work.

Although there are many nominal players in the IaaS market, a few vendors account for the vast majority of all IaaS spending: Amazon Web Services leads the pack, while Microsoft Azure has long been the runner-up and well ahead of would-be competitors such as Google and IBM. The specific features of each platform differ, but the fundamental technical skills needed for managing them are related. Accordingly, an AWS expert might pursue specifically designed coursework in Azure to acquire the additional expertise for working with his or her company's cloud implementation.

Linux and Windows

The Linux kernel is at the heart of numerous open source operating systems and tools, due to its easy availability, robust design and high flexibility. In the O'Reilly survey, Linux was the second most common OS in use by respondents, trailing only Windows. Almost half (49 percent) of them reported using Linux either alone or in tandem with other OSes, including Windows and macOS.

"Linux has a large ecosystem of compatible tools."

Linux has a large ecosystem of compatible tools, and it is commonly used in data science alongside Apache Spark and Hadoop as well as Python, all of which are open source. In contrast, Windows has its own different constellation of supporting big data apps and frameworks, which usually includes the aforementioned Excel in addition to Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Server.

Which OS a company uses will depend heavily on its size, budget and key applications. Many organizations choose to use both Linux and Windows to varying degrees, due to the unique benefits of each ecosystem. Certifications such as CompTIA Linux+, which helps with the installation and maintenance of Linux-based systems, and Office 365 can help you stay ahead of the curve for both OSes.

Get on the track to a data science career by earning IT certifications

There is plenty to learn in becoming an expert data scientist, given the need for skills that span technical programming, project management and mathematical analysis. Obtaining IT certifications from a trusted institution such as New Horizons Computer Learning Centers is a practical step on the road to data science success.

First, look for a location near you to plan your visit. Then, be sure to take a glance at our full course listings and our supporting resources like our webinars page, where you can learn more about how to look for IT careers that interest you. Data science is positioned to be one of the most lucrative career tracks for the rest of the decade, so it will literally pay to get the training you need to stand out from the pack of job applicants.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162306/title/Which-Cisco-certifications-should-you-earn?Which Cisco certifications should you earn?Wed, 26 Jul 2017 17:40:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162306/title/Which-Cisco-certifications-should-you-earn?
IT certifications are important credentials in a job market that emphasizes proficiencies in the specific hardware and software - everything from Cisco switches to myriad JavaScript frameworks - that underpin today's enterprise architectures, cloud computing platforms and mobile applications. In particular, knowledge of the vast Cisco ecosystem can serve as both a starting point for the understanding of modern concepts such as software-defined networking and an additional source of insight for standard network management.

What do IT professionals gain from Cisco certifications?

Cisco's products and services are at the bread and butter of many technological experiences, from high-speed home internet to virtual reality. For example, the company recently partnered with the VR agency VRMADA on a pioneering IT certification called Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Virtual Reality Experience. This new variant on CCIE includes hands-on training with a VR application that takes the viewer "inside" a Cisco router to see how its control plane maps out the network topology and operates its routing tables.

CCIE in general is one of the many certifications that Cisco offers to current and aspiring network technicians. Let's break down a sampling of what the company offers in terms of credentialing:

Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician

CCENT is an entry-level certification that helps you learn the ropes of setting up, maintaining and troubleshooting a branch network. Moreover, it provides background in network security, which has become a critical area of concern for IT organizations as they contend with threats such as denial-of-service attacks and ransomware distribution:

It also chronicled 19 "mega attacks" of 100 Gbps or more, which was a 58 percent increase over that same time period.

In May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware swept across the world and infected thousands of Microsoft Windows-based systems. If not for a kill switch discovered by cybersecurity researchers, millions of additional machines may have been hijacked.

CCENT can provide a base for understanding such challenges. Its value can also be enhanced by pairing it with other certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+, and/or upgrading to more advanced Cisco credentials.

"CCENT provides background in network security."

Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing and Switching

The CCNA distinction is one step from the CCENT level and it extends on the basic principles of that entry-level certification. Essentially, it offers more training in how to manage a medium-sized network built on Cisco technologies.

An important aspect of the CCNA track is the experience it provides in understanding the most recent Cisco components. CCNA recipients now possess knowledge of relevant innovations such as IPv6 and Quality of Service. A CCNA can also be customized for specialization in tech such as voice, security and wireless networking.

At the same level of CCNA is the Cisco Certified Design Associate Distinction. The CCDA is oriented toward the building and validation of Cisco networks, with a slightly different professional development track than the CCNA (although both start with the CCENT or in some cases a CCIE).

A Cisco certification helps understand issues such as network design and security.

Cisco Certified Network Professional

As its name indicates, the CCNP is a professional certification that develops the specific skills required for working with complex local and wide area networks (LANs and WANs, respectively). With a CCNP, you are equipped to work independently on networking projects, thanks to deep knowledge of protocols that are relevant to both physical and virtual network infrastructures.

These technical certifications are the ticket to a better paying and more rewarding career in IT. Anyone interested in the Cisco certification track can get started on it, or go further down it, by enrolling in courses at a nearby New Horizons. Find a convenient location today, and also take a look at our webinars page for more information on how an IT certification can help you land a good job.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162008/title/3-common-Office-365-management-challenges-an-IT-certification-can-help-you-solve3 common Office 365 management challenges an IT certification can help you solveFri, 21 Jul 2017 10:51:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40162008/title/3-common-Office-365-management-challenges-an-IT-certification-can-help-you-solve
Microsoft Windows and Office 365 are the bread and butter of productivity for thousands of organizations in the U.S. Windows has long been the dominant desktop operating system, while Office 365 is the go-to application suite for everything from editing corporate copy in Word to monitoring expenses via Excel.

The changes to Windows and Office in Microsoft 365

It was no surprise, then, that these two office staples were recently combined into a new cloud-based subscription package announced at the Microsoft Inspire 2017 conference. Microsoft 365, which also includes Enterprise Mobility + Security, has been billed by one Microsoft vice president as "a fundamental shift" in how the company approaches its software strategy.

The value of Microsoft 365 seems to reside in how it consolidates the management of several essential business services under one umbrella. This setup has clear benefits for security (e.g., easier updating across devices) and collaboration (a unified set of applications across the organization).

Its fresh technical design and overhauled business model also highlight some of the common challenges in administering older configurations of both Windows 10 and Office 365. The complexity of these platforms, along with the sheer number of cyberattacks that target them, can make life difficult for inexperienced IT departments in particular. Here are some issues to watch out for:

1. Not having a proper data recovery strategy

Windows-based systems have been vulnerable to malware such as the WannaCry ransomware that spread across the world in May 2017. Although that threat was quickly contained (and a patch promptly issued by Microsoft), the incident highlighted a real risk to many implementations of Office 365: not having any recourse in the event that essential data becomes unusable, as it might if encrypted by ransomware without access to the encryption key.

According to a survey by Barracuda Networks, two-thirds of Office 365 administrators use the Recycle Bin to recover data. This approach is not recommended: Data deleted from the Recycle Bin is not recoverable if inadvertently removed, plus it is set to expire after a certain amount of time, anyway. It is very limited in scenarios in which you need to recover data for applications such as Exchange, SharePoint and OneDrive.

Many admins also do not test data recovery mechanisms on a regular basis, despite the majority of them also needing to support recovery at multiple locations. The unified management architecture of Microsoft 365 is in part a response to this sort of issue: Administrators need a consistent, reliable strategy for making critical data accessible to numerous devices, services and branch offices.

Security is a constant challenge when overseeing a major Office 365 implementation.

2. Struggling to fend off advanced cyberattacks

The popularity of Microsoft's platforms make them obvious targets for cybercriminals. In addition to the WannaCry threat we mentioned earlier (which targeted Windows PCs), there was a recent string of brute-force attacks against enterprise Office 365 accounts identified by Skyhigh Networks researchers.

This incident involved repeated efforts to gain access to sensitive data held in one company's Office 365 implementation. More than 100,000 failed login were attempted, using cloud infrastructure to automate a campaign focused on the credentials of just a few high-level employees at the victimized firm.

The attack was eventually detected and contained in time. Nevertheless, it was representative of the broad spectrum of security challenges - e.g., access control issues, advanced persistent threats, etc. - associated with Office 365. It is no accident that Microsoft 365 has been marketed for its "built-in, intelligent security" capabilities that protect corporate data from exfiltration.

3. Taking a long time to migrate essential data

Although Office 365 is one of the most prominent Microsoft products, it only surpassed traditionally licensed Office in revenue in mid-2017. The ongoing popularity of on-premises Office is understandable, since it affords a high degree of control for the enterprises that use it.

However, the shift from this form of Office to Office 365 can be jarring. For starters, the quality of an organization's network connection is crucial in determining how long a migration will take; in some cases, the process will be much longer than anticipated.

There are also the potential complications related to authentication and identity management. For example, Azure Active Directory is not equivalent to the older Active Directory.

Become better-versed in Office 365 at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

To navigate these challenges and many others, it pays to have extensive training in Microsoft platforms, as well as CompTIA certifications such as CompTIA Security+. You can acquire these credentials at your nearest New Horizons. Find a location close to you today, and also be sure to take a look at our webinars page for tips on finding a rewarding IT job in today's market.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40161891/title/How-IT-certifications-can-help-you-land-a-cybersecurity-jobHow IT certifications can help you land a cybersecurity jobWed, 19 Jul 2017 14:44:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40161891/title/How-IT-certifications-can-help-you-land-a-cybersecurity-job
There are tangible advantages to becoming a certified cybersecurity professional in today's IT job market. Demand for security expertise has surged in recent years, driven by the growing complexity of IT infrastructure and the sophistication of modern cyberattacks:

CyberSeek determined that approximately 40,000 information security analyst jobs go unfilled each year in the U.S. According to Cisco, there were at least 1 million vacant cybersecurity jobs worldwide in 2015.

Job site Indeed.com compiled figures on the correlation between cybersecurity postings and interests (as measured in clicks on online applications) and found that in the U.S., jobseekers meet only two-thirds of employer demand. In other countries such as Israel and the U.K., the share is under one-third.

We can see that there is currently a widespread challenge in training and steering individuals toward careers in cybersecurity. One major cause of this situation is the perception among many employers, justified or not, that the bulk of applicants to any position are not qualified for it. Let's look at why they might think like this and what you can do to make yourself stand out from the pack.

"Cybersecurity" casts a much wider net than it did in the past

In the days before the internet became central to business operations of all kinds, cybersecurity had a relatively limited scope. Security workers had to watch out for viruses and pay attention to access controls protecting privileged data, but did not have to worry too much about threats spreading through their networks from external sources.

Obviously, this is no longer the case. Everything from distributed denial-of-service attacks to advanced malware are delivered via Internet Protocol networks. There is also what Cisco has called "the blurring of IT and operational technology environments," which has affected systems for building control, industrial automation and energy by putting them at risk of being hijacked.

Cybersecurity certifications can help in the job search.

The fallout from data breaches resulting from such incidents can be considerable. The Rand Corporation estimated that each breach costs companies an average of $200,000, before factoring in the more nebulous damage to reputation and customer loyalty. Other estimates put the total in the millions, although only the largest enterprises are likely to face that level of harm. For these reasons, it is practical for every company to behave like a "security company" and keep close tabs on its potential vulnerabilities along with relevant solutions.

Cybersecurity requires coordinated teamwork and systematic oversight

Given the intersection of cybersecurity with every aspect of the modern firm, current and aspiring professionals in the field are expected to have a mix of hard and soft skills, i.e. technical knowledge as well as the communications acumen to apply it across the organization. This is a high bar for any applicant to meet.

"Cybersecurity professionals are expected to have a mix of hard and soft skills."

Accordingly, such standards have greatly complicated the hiring process for many cybersecurity professions. At the same time, many organizations have turned to managed security services, which enlist the help of consultants and other outside experts, to meet their growing lists of cybersecurity requirements. One-off tools that address specific threats have also taken a backseat to platforms that offer more comprehensive protection.

What do these trends mean for cybersecurity workers? One major takeaway is the need for demonstrable experience and expertise, which can be signaled through IT certifications, including Microsoft and Cisco certifications on the vendor side and security-specific options such as CompTIA Security+ and Cybersecurity Analysts (CSA+).

At New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, there are numerous courses and certifications available to build your cybersecurity skills, improve your resume and prepare you for some of today's most in-demand jobs. You can find the closest location to you here. Also be sure to take a look at both the complete course listings and our webinars page, where we have collected additional helpful tips for your IT job hunt.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40161789/title/Are-IT-certifications-still-worth-it-to-modern-professionals?Are IT certifications still worth it to modern professionals?Tue, 18 Jul 2017 10:44:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40161789/title/Are-IT-certifications-still-worth-it-to-modern-professionals?
Individuals within the IT field have a number of expectations placed on their shoulders, including managing and securing systems effectively. Employers are increasingly looking for IT experts with the skills to maximize technology benefits and are willing to pay for these capabilities. Many jobs now require certain certifications, alongside other extensive experience and knowledge, in order to be considered. As the demand for IT applicants continues to rise, many might wonder why certifications continue to be necessary. IT certifications are still worth it to modern professionals for a few key reasons:

1. Career benefits outweigh time and effort

It's a long-held belief that a certification is absolutely essential to opening career opportunities, and this expectation continues to ring true today. Many professionals might be overwhelmed by the certification programs they want to pursue simply for the necessary time and resources required to achieve their goals. Cisco certifications, for example, range from basics to more advanced concepts. Some of these programs require specific amounts of work experience or another certification before you can apply for the course. Understanding these details will help you devise a roadmap to gaining certifications within a reasonable timeframe.

Certifications can provide career benefits.

Certifications are certainly a major commitment initially, but they provide an opportunity to learn new concepts and maximize your career opportunities. Network Computing contributor Andrew Froehlich noted that while you might be familiar with a topic, you might also learn material from a different viewpoint or about a subject that you've never touched. Certifications help broaden your technological horizon and bring you out of your comfort zone. This knowledge will open new doors in your potential and maximize your business value.

2. It demonstrates your willingness and capability to learn

Certifications not only demonstrate your current knowledge, they also show your willingness and capability to learn and continually improve. Low level certifications don't exemplify content mastery, but a candidate who had the willpower to pass are more likely to be able to take direction and train to real-world applicable contexts, Technibble contributor Derrick Wlodarz wrote. Learning on the job might not always be ideal for IT subjects, particularly higher level content, making certifications more important to expand your knowledge and expose you to more complex topics. Achieving a certification teaches IT professionals how to approach various situations and make educated decisions, preserving the customer relationship and business operations.

Not all certifications are made equal, and some will have higher returns on investment. Nevertheless, these achievements are still critical indicators that show employers your commitment to your continuous improvement and your knowledge. As businesses increasingly require these documents, it will be best to start your certification journey early.

"Certifications are used as evidence to prove your skills."

3. Enables specialization in a new area

Technology is constantly changing, making it necessary for IT professionals to keep up with these trends. Organizations might look for new hires to use advanced hardware and software effectively, and certifications are a good way to get specialized in a new area. InfoWorld contributor Jamie Mercer noted that employers will also look for certifications within resumes to screen applicants during the hiring process. Certifications are used as evidence to prove your skills , even it you don't have previous examples to illustrate your ability.

IT certifications have become an absolute necessity to be considered for some positions, and modern professionals can still find value within these achievements. A certification can open up career opportunities, enable specialization and demonstrate your willingness to learn. At New Horizons, IT professionals can choose from a variety of certification programs to advance their skills and improve their business value. To start your certification journey, watch one of our free training webinars today.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40161423/title/Skills-and-certifications-that-will-earn-you-the-most-in-2017Skills and certifications that will earn you the most in 2017Tue, 11 Jul 2017 11:21:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40161423/title/Skills-and-certifications-that-will-earn-you-the-most-in-2017
Technology is rapidly advancing, with more sophisticated hardware and software emerging on a regular basis. These assets were seen to bring a number of critical benefits, but the increasing complexity is making it more difficult for employees to leverage new technology effectively. Employers are increasingly looking for talented individuals with the right skills and knowledge, and the amount they're willing to pay for these capabilities is on the rise. Let's take a look at the skills and certifications that will earn you the most this year:

1. HANA

More information is being generated than ever before, and organizations are increasingly looking to utilize it to guide decision-making and development. As a result, vendors have worked to produce analytics and reporting programs that will reveal critical insights and keep up with the growing pace of data. SAP High Performance Analytical Application, or HANA, is currently seen as the top skill that's the most lucrative for IT professionals. This platform enables customers to analyze large volumes of data in real time, allowing organizations to create new products, save money and outpace competitors.

Big data isn't going away anytime soon, and skills using SAP HANA will help businesses meet data processing challenges. A survey by Dice.com found that HANA skills brought in an average salary of $128,958 for those proficient in the program, earning it the top spot for lucrative capabilities. The expected value of this skill is on the rise, making it important to pursue now.

Analytics skills are the most lucrative capabilities.

2. CRISC

Modern IT professionals face a number of critical challenges and risks that could disrupt operations and impact business reputation. Cyberthreats, in particular, are a constantly shifting issue that must be considered and planned for. Organizations are increasingly looking for IT experts that understand the risks and how to protect their infrastructure appropriately. The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control designation is a critical credential to have and was the top earner in a Global Knowledge survey.

CRISC covers the entire lifecycle from design to implementation and ongoing maintenance to ensure that IT professionals are able to effectively identify and manage IT and business risks. More than 20,000 people around the world have achieved this certification and 96 percent of them keep it current. The demand for these individuals is steadily increasing and the relatively small supply could open numerous career opportunities. You must have three years of experience in two of the four areas covered by the certification and pass the test in order to gain the credential. It's also necessary to earn Continuing Professional Education credits each year to maintain the certification.

"The need for skilled AWS solutions architects is on the rise."

3. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate

Cloud platforms are becoming more integral for businesses, and AWS holds the marketshare for potential vendor options. If you decide to manage your environment internally or just want to better understand the inner workings of your AWS deployment, a certification will not only give you the knowledge you need, it could also be lucrative to your career options. Global Knowledge found that earners of any of the five AWS certifications hold an average salary of more than $100,000. The need for skilled AWS solutions architects is on the rise, and the popularity of the platform is unlikely to slow anytime soon.

Like CRISC, there's a small number of individuals with this certification, driving up salary potential for people with this credential. Pursuing this certification will address a range of topics like designing on AWS, ingressing and egressing data, selecting the appropriate AWS services, estimating costs and leveraging cost-control measures.

4. App design

Effective app and user interface design will continue to be a big priority for businesses. Creating programs for a range of devices will help employees do their jobs more effectively and make the most of their available resources. Forbes contributor Laurence Bradford noted that building mobile apps will enable customers to access business resources on the go. A good user interface will be key to create a pleasant and efficient experience. Professionals must be able to anticipate user needs and execute solutions through the app design and features.

Skills and certifications are extremely important considerations for any employer, and certain credentials will help you earn more and advance your career opportunities. App design, CRISC, AWS CSA and HANA are becoming increasingly important, and businesses are willing to pay for individuals with these capabilities. To pursue certifications that will help advance your career, visit New Horizons Learning Centers today.

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40160941/title/4-Skype-for-Business-features-you-might-not-have-known-about4 Skype for Business features you might not have known aboutFri, 30 Jun 2017 11:05:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40160941/title/4-Skype-for-Business-features-you-might-not-have-known-about
With Skype for Business, your entire organization can stay connected via chat, phone and video conference. Firms that relied for years on Lync Server can seamlessly transition to the similar capabilities of the on-premises Skype for Business Server, while newcomers to Office 365 can take advantage of Skype for Business Online.

Some of the basic functions in Skype for Business, such as its support for VoIP and chat, are well-known. But there's a lot more under the hood of the application. What else can you do with Skype for Business? Here are a few possibilities to explore:

Broadcast a meeting

Remote work, either from employees' homes or from far-flung branch offices, is on the rise. A recent survey of 15,000 adults conducted by Gallup found that 43 percent of them reported working remotely at least some of the time. For these employees, access to collaboration tools and company resources are essential, and Skype for Business delivers on both counts via features such as meetings broadcasts.

A meeting held on Skype for Business can be broadcast live for up to 10,000 viewers. Accordingly, the platform is ideal for virtual town halls and webinars. Skype for Business is also tightly integrated with Yammer and Bing Pulse, which enable dialogue and sentiment tracking/live polling, respectively.

Skype for Business support telephony from multiple devices.

Hold a PSTN conference

The growing popularity of VoIP does not necessarily entail the demise of public switched telephone networks and phone numbers. In fact, Skype for Business includes a PSTN conferencing function that allows anyone to connect to a conference from any phone.

Convenient dial-in access is available via a common PSTN number for each meeting. Local numbers for each market are also available, along with a toll-free option that can be accessed via PIN. The PSTN implementation is managed through Office 365, meaning that it is available in Skype for Business Online (previously, PSTN features required Skype for Business Server).

Replace your PBX infrastructure

Private branch exchange (PBX) phone networks are fixtures of many business, but they are typically expensive to maintain and keep current in the context of rapid technological evolution. Skype for Business offers an alternative to the cost of the hardware upgrade cycle, in the form of cloud PBX.

"S​kype for Business offers an alternative to the cost of PBX upgrade cycle."

Cloud PBX emulates all of the quintessential features of a business phone system, including caller ID, call hold and retrieve, call waiting and call delegation. At the same time, it can be scaled globally to many sites since it is supported by the Microsoft Cloud. There is also seamless device switching between the Skype for Business clients for both desktop and mobile devices.

Connect to Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is one of the newest components of Office 365. It provides a Slack-like chat experience that is connected to many other Microsoft apps, including Skype for Business.

One of the defining advantages of Teams is how it facilitates co-authoring of documents, as well as additional communication via phone or video, from within a single chat interface, so that users do not have to constantly switch between apps. Its integration with Skype for Business is pivotal in enabling such seamless collaboration.

Start your career as an Office 365 expert at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

]]>https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40160934/title/More-than-an-intranet:-How-you-can-use-SharePoint-to-remake-your-collaboration-processesMore than an intranet: How you can use SharePoint to remake your collaboration processesFri, 30 Jun 2017 09:57:00 ESThttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/article/articleid/40160934/title/More-than-an-intranet:-How-you-can-use-SharePoint-to-remake-your-collaboration-processes
There are seemingly endless possibilities when it comes to what you can do with Microsoft SharePoint. Introduced as an on-premises application in 2001, SharePoint has since evolved into a multi-faceted product that can be run locally (as SharePoint Server) or in the cloud (as SharePoint Online, a part of the Office 365 suite).

SharePoint is best known as an intranet solution, that is, as a platform for creating company-specific websites for project and content management. At the same time, it has many additional capabilities that make it one of the central collaboration tools within the Microsoft ecosystem. Let's look at a few that you can take advantage of to improve workflows at your organization.

SharePoint as a file host for Office Online

Office Online is the lightweight web-accessible equivalent of the traditional Office apps Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. It is free to use, but also available as part of an Office 365 subscription or as a component in a private cloud (i.e., a set of cloud infrastructures housed on-premises and managed directly by IT).

In the latter setup, known as Office Web Apps Server, SharePoint plays a critical role. It serves as a file host that interacts with Office Web Apps Server and with the web browsers through which users actually access files. Multiple SharePoint instances can be connected to Office Web Apps Server to provide a seamless web-like experience to Office Online users within private IP networks.

SharePoint is useful across multiple platforms, including mobile.

SharePoint Online and Office 365 Groups

Team sites are a defining feature of SharePoint. They are shared locations, within which team members can exchange information and work concurrently on projects. Any time a team site is set up in SharePoint Online, a corresponding Office 365 Group is automatically created. Similarly, a team site is generated whenever an Office 365 Group is established in Outlook or People.

Once a team site is up and running, contributors can add libraries, lists and pages to it. Thanks to the connection to Office 365 Groups, there is no need for a separate SharePoint group or email distribution list to manage the collaborative processes.

Communication sites in SharePoint

"Communication sites are more sophisticated counterparts to team sites."

At its 2017 Virtual Summit, Microsoft introduced communication sites, which are essentially more sophisticated counterparts to team sites, designed for broader reach across the organization. Microsoft has pushed this new class of sites as "dynamic" pages that are optimized for the web as well as desktop and mobile versions of the SharePoint app.

Communication sites are well-integrated with other Office 365 sites. For example, they can dynamically pull in reports from Power BI, videos from Microsoft Steam and discussions from Yammer. Site creators have several readymade templates to choose from, including a Showcase to feature a specific product or service and a Topic format for sharing news and event updates

SharePoint is a complex platform with many well-known and obscure features. You can dive into the finer details, along with those of the rest of the Office 365 suite (e.g., advanced Excel training), by completing courses and certification tracks available at a New Horizons near you. Take a look at our complete listings for more information, and also be sure to visit our webinars page for more career development tips in areas such as effective job search strategies and organizational leadership.